Misery
by Lithium Delusions
Summary: Set prior to Like, Like Love. JJ is forced to take a hard look at himself when Ryo is shot. He must come to terms with his feelings for Dee and his growing feelings for his partner. Drake & JJ implied... Complete...First part of the Sequel is also up!
1. Prologue: The Fall

Disclaimers: We're only going to say this once. We own a bunch of manga, our imaginations and a computer. We don't own Fake or any of the wonderful characters contained therein. That all belongs to Sanami Matoh-sama (May she rule forever) and whoever owns the publishing rights (_So_ not us).

A/N- Okay, other business. While both of us are well-read and quite intelligent (Well, one of us is, at least) we are neither police officers nor medics. While we do know it is possible to survive a lung shot-if medical treatment arrives fast enough-we can say nothing about recovery time or hospital procedure. However, stress fractures combined with sprains, unfortunately, we do have real experience with. Very painful and the medications mentioned were what was proscribed when it happened to Subu-chan. The Emergency room wait, again, is real and from experience. Any fuck-ups are solely our own and we claim full responsibility for them. (Maybe you do, Subu-chan, but I intend to run like hell from all responsibility!)

Timeline- Some time after the end of the manga and just prior to the epilogue "Like, Like, Love."

Prologue-The Fall

The gunshots were loud in the silence of the warehouse. Ellis watched in horror as Detective MacLean staggered back, crimson flowering across his white shirt. He fired back at the perp as the other man hit the concrete floor with a meaty thud.

Ellis was forced back into cover as the man returned fire. He could hear the footsteps of MacLean's partner as he came from the back of the warehouse. "Look out!"

He heard gunfire and Detective Laytner's curse. "Who do you think you're firing at, you shit?"

Ellis rose from his crouch and put another bullet into the pallet the perp was hiding behind. The man yelped and cursed.

Ellis knew the moment Detective Laytner spotted the body sprawled on the cold concrete. _"RYO!"_

The suspect used the moment of distraction to fire a round into the gas tank of a forklift parked nearby. The resulting explosion threw Ellis into a stack of crates, as fire seemed to swallow the machine. Ears ringing, he staggered to his feet. He heard Detective Laytner's frantic voice giving their location, ending with the hated words, "Officer Down!"

Ellis sank to his knees, his legs no longer strong enough to support him. He passed out before the ambulance arrived. The last sound he heard was Detective Laytner's desperate pleas for Ryo not to leave him. "-Stay with me, baby. You hear me? Don't you dare die on me!"


	2. Chapter 1:Shades of Misery

Chapter One: Shades of Misery

JJ met Dee in the waiting room of the emergency room. The other man looked haggard and ready to collapse. "Dee-sempai?"

Dee glanced at him.

JJ sat next to him, aching to comfort him but knowing his overture would be rejected if he tried. "The Chief's got every available unit combing the area for the guy who shot him. He said to tell you that they'd get him."

Dee grunted and glared at him. "Then what the hell are you doing here?"

JJ looked down. "He wants you at the station to give a report. I'm supposed to stay here until you get back."

Dee sighed and shoved a hand through his rumpled hair. "Damn that old badger. I _can't_ leave Ryo!"

JJ shook his head. "I'll stay here and call your cell the minute I hear anything, ok?" He grimaced. "Please, Dee-sempai?"

Dee glanced down at him with a black scowl. "Whatever. You just don't want to get into trouble if I don't show."

JJ snapped back at Dee for the first time in his life, horrified to hear the words coming out of his mouth and yet at the same time helpless to stop them. "Fuck you, Dee! I'm here because I'm worried. The chief wanted someone to come here and I said I would. Ryo may be my rival but he's still my co-worker and a friend! I'm here because I want to be, not because I was ordered to, dammit!"

Dee really looked at him for the first time and a small, reluctant smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "You win, JJ. I'm sorry. I'm just freaked out and worried."

JJ accepted the apology in the spirit it was meant, though his heart ached. "I know. I'll let you know the minute I know anything, okay?"

Dee nodded reluctantly and rose, briefly patting JJ's shoulder. "Thanks, man. I'm trusting you, okay?"

JJ nodded and watched him leave, his heart contracting in his chest. He had often wished for Ryo to vanish so he could have Dee to himself, but not this way. He knew he wasn't at fault, but his childish envy of Ryo made it feel that way. _I just wanted him out of the way. I never wanted him hurt! _His heart wasn't listening to his head, however. All those jealous wishes had turned into stinging barbs, eating away at his conscience. For the first time in his life, JJ Adams hated himself.

Three hours later, he was still in the same hard plastic chair, hunched into a ball of abject misery. He heard the footsteps and looked up, praying it was the doctor with news on Ryo's condition.

Dee sat down next to him with a heavy sigh. "Still no word?"

JJ sniffled. "Nothing. I haven't heard anything since they took him to surgery."

Dee rose to his feet and paced the too-small waiting room restlessly. "Dammit!"

JJ watched him, numbly aware of the leaden lump growing in his throat. Any hope he had ever had of winning Dee cracked and crumbled into dust. With every step and nervous glance toward the doors, Dee was silently declaring just how much he loved Ryo. JJ didn't want to see it, but couldn't avoid the sight anymore than he could stop wishing it were himself Dee was so worried about. A small traitorous part of him whispered seductively that he could comfort Dee if the worst came to worst and Ryo-

JJ bolted to his feet with an anguished cry that he choked off as soon as it started. Dee glanced at him curiously. "I-I need some coffee. I'll go down and get some from the cafeteria. Do you want some, D-Dee-sempai?"

"No." Dee scowled at him with a question in his eyes and JJ fled before he could give voice to it. He found the cafeteria and bought a cup of too-strong coffee, taking it to a corner seat and hunching over it. Tears spilled down his cheeks as he gave into the misery and self-loathing, salting the black brew growing cold between his fingers. When he had pulled himself back together and returned to the waiting room, Dee was no longer there. A nurse pointed him down the hall to recovery. He found Dee listening to a doctor with only half an ear, most of his attention riveted to a too-pale form swathed in white bandages in the room beyond.

"He lost a lot of blood, so it was touch and go there for a while. One bullet punctured a lung, but the other was deflected by his sternum and did mostly muscular damage in his chest and abdomen. We've managed to get his blood volume back up, but he's still in very touchy condition." The doctor explained as JJ joined them, scrubbing at his reddened eyes with the back of his hand. "We've done what we can for now. Time will tell the rest."

"Can I see him?" Dee's voice was soft and worried.

The doctor's bearded face softened with sympathy. "Shortly. When his blood pressure stabilizes, we'll move him out of recovery and them you can see him without a window between you."

Dee slumped against the wall, shoulders hunched as he hugged his arms tight to his chest. JJ almost reached out to him, but shivered and withdrew his half-extended fingers. His sympathy wasn't needed or wanted here. Dee had never needed him, and that truth cut deeper than a knife. JJ waited quietly with him for the next two hours, not daring to speak and disturb Dee's self-imposed isolation.

When a nurse came to tell them that Ryo had been moved to a private room and they could visit him, JJ trailed behind Dee. He lingered quietly in the doorway as Dee sat beside the bed and held Ryo's hand with a tenderness that made JJ's heart contract in his chest. Fresh tears burned in his eyes, but he fought them back.

For lack of anything better to do, he called Bikky's school and spoke to Ryo's adopted son. Bikky was frantic when JJ told him what happened and JJ promised to send Ted to pick him up at school and bring him to the hospital. He called Ted and then tried Drake's cell for the third time since he'd left the station. His call was shunted to voicemail (again) and he scowled.

Drake had recently developed the habit of turning his cell-phone off when he was off the clock, probably so JJ couldn't disturb him when he had a date. After the one disastrous incident, Drake had sworn to take JJ's cell phone and shove it down his throat if he ever called when things were "-just getting good" again. How was JJ supposed to know when he was with a woman or anything?

He left a message for Drake to call him and flipped his cell closed. He nearly dropped it when he heard a ring tone. But it wasn't his and he watched a scowling Dee drag out his phone. "Yeah?" He barked. His expression didn't change, but JJ got an impression of coiled expectancy from him. "Yeah. Where? Got it. No. It won't matter. Thanks."

Dee turned the cell phone off and rose to his feet.

"Where are you going?" JJ caught Dee's sleeve as he stalked toward the door.

"They need me down at the station to file a report. I won't be long."

JJ scratched his head. "Didn't you just file a stack of them about the shooting?"

Dee's eyes went hard and cold. "Well, I have to file another one, dammit!" Suddenly as a striking snake, he grabbed the front of JJ's shirt and hauled the smaller man around to face him. He pulled JJ up until only his toes were touching the tile. For the first time in his life, JJ was afraid of him. There was something feral and not entirely sane in his face. "You don't move from this room till I get back, got that? You so much as go down the hall for a cup of coffee, I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF!"

He unceremoniously dropped JJ back to his feet and stalked out of the room, pausing only for a single, agonized glance at the still figure on the bed.

JJ was left alone with the unconscious Ryo and his thoughts. And he didn't like the way those thoughts were tending. Worried, he fished his cell out of his jacket pocket and dialed his partner's number again. He cursed as his call was shunted straight to voicemail. "Damn it, Drake, leave your cell on every once in a while!"

He was nearly frantic when someone opened the door a few minutes later.

"Drake-sempai!" JJ launched himself at his partner. "Thank God! Dee's gone! I think he went after the perp, but he threatened to kill me if I left Ryo!"

"Whoa, whoa! Slow down!" Drake grabbed JJ's shoulders and shook him. "What's going on? And start at the beginning. I just now heard Ryo was hurt!"

JJ forced himself to calm down. "Dee and Ryo responded to a backup call at one of the warehouses down at the docks. The perp shot Ryo and escaped in the confusion. Dee just got a phone call and I didn't like the sounds of it. I think Dee's going to go after the perp himself, and with the mood he's in, it's not to bring him in for questioning!" JJ grabbed Drake's collar frantically. "You have to find him and stop him!"

"Shit!" Drake pulled away from JJ and dashed down the hall, dialing his cell phone with frantic haste.

JJ struggled with his desire to follow his partner, but good sense won out. Dee wasn't kidding. He might not kill JJ, but he'd make him wish that he had. Itching with the desire to do something, JJ sat down next to the bed and stared at Ryo's too-pale face.

"What is it about you?" He asked softly. "What do you have that I don't? Whatever it is, I wish I had it! Why does he love you like he does?"

JJ clenched his fingers in the white sheet. "I know he loves you. It's in his face every time he looks at you and it tears me up inside! I've loved him since our academy days, but he never loved me. What is it about you that makes him love you instead of me?" His breath caught in his throat and JJ struggled with the tears that burned in his eyes. "Why, dammit?

"Why can't he love me?" His voice broke and he stared at the man on the bed with a mix of frustration and worry. "And the thing is, I like you. I can't even hate you for it. You never tried to take him away from me, but you did just as surely as if you seduced him!" JJ let the tears fall until the bed and the figure on it were a single white blur.


	3. Chapter 2:Tattered and Torn

Chapter Two-Tattered and Torn

"Dammit, Drake, get these goddamn cuffs off of me! I am so gonna tear you a new one for this!" Dee's voice was a bellow that would have done a drill sergeant proud. Unfortunately, the hospital staff was not nearly so cheerfully inclined. One nurse offered to sedate him, hefting her clipboard suggestively.

Drake offered her a pained grin and said he'd bear that in mind as he and Ted forcefully steered Dee down the hall. Bikky followed behind, clearly torn between worry for Ryo and laughter at the sight of Dee in cuffs being forcibly escorted by his two friends.

"Ted, you get these cuffs off of me and I promise I won't kill you. Drake, on the other hand…" He scowled at Drake. If looks could kill, Drake would have dropped dead three or four times since he had tackled Dee and cuffed him.

Ted shook his head mournfully. "Sorry, dude, but these are Chief's orders. You get to stay put until you calm down. Be glad that he said you could stay with Ryo for now. But you better shut the hell up or the hospital's gonna put you in a nice padded room." He frowned at Dee. "And then what are you gonna do? You won't be much help to anybody in a rubber room."

Bikky stifled a snicker.

Dee's protests subsided into grumbles and he allowed them to propel him down the halls to Ryo's room. JJ greeted him with a subdued hello and none of his usual antics. That got Dee's attention quicker than all of Drake and Ted's words.

"Ryo! Is he…?"

JJ shook his head. "No change. The doctors say that if he makes it through the night, he's got a chance of recovering, but he's not doing so hot." He looked away. "Dee, he needs you here more than we need you out there, trying to get yourself killed for revenge. You need to be here for him if he's gonna find the will to live through the night." He glanced at where Bikky had rushed to the side of the bed, struggling to hold back tears of worry as he stared at Ryo's too-pale face. "Both of you."

"JJ…" Dee hesitated, confusion filling his eyes.

JJ turned away with a stifled sniffle and scooted a chair up to the edge of the bed opposite where Bikky crouched. "Put him here."

Drake shoved Dee down in the chair and undid one cuff, attaching it to the metal bedrails. "The nurses will make sure you don't need anything." JJ said. "Just stay with him for the night, okay?"

Dee's eyes had fastened on Ryo's pale face and he nodded slowly. "I'll be here." He settled himself into the chair and leaned his arms on the rail. Bikky nodded agreement from the other side of the bed, tears shining in his wide eyes.

The other three trooped out of the room and exchanged worried glances.

Ted sighed and shoved a hand through his short hair. "Man. I've got to get back. Marty called; thinks he has a lead on the perp. He's familiar with the area and says he might know some places that guy may be hiding. I'm gonna help him canvas the area. Somebody might've seen something." He waved an uncomfortable goodbye and trotted down the hall.

JJ sniffed and scrubbed a sleeve across his eyes. "Hey, Drake-sempai, let's go get that bastard, okay?" His voice only broke once, a fact JJ was immensely glad of.

Drake ruffled his hair gently and nodded. "Sure thing, JJ." JJ pretended not to notice the worried look Drake gave him as he led the way to the elevator.

Dee stared at Ryo for a long moment, listening to the conversation outside the door. As the others left, he glanced at Bikky. "Give us a couple of minutes, willya, brat?"

Bikky scowled at him over Ryo's unconscious form. "Make me, Perv."

"Please." Dee said, holding onto his temper with tooth and nail. He jumped a foot and reached for the gun Ted had confiscated as the door banged open behind him. Carol stood there, panting and wild-eyed, clutching a vase of flowers.

"Ryo!"

Bikky hurried to her side and enfolded her in his arms. Dee noted with some surprise that in his last growth spurt, he had shot up so much that Carol only reached his chest. Carol sniffled and glanced at Ryo. "Will he be okay?"

Dee summoned up his best comforting smile though it felt hollow on his lips. "Of course. Ryo's too damned tough for some two-bit punk to take him out."

Carol nodded unevenly and deposited the flowers on the bedside table before they slipped out of her trembling fingers. She met Bikky's eyes. "Lai told me that you got called out of class. He said that someone came to pick you up cause your father got shot!" Her voice broke and she huddled closer to Bikky's chest. "I made my aunt pick me up and bring me here."

Bikky stroked her hair soothingly. "Shh."

Dee dug out his wallet with his free hand and tossed it to Bikky, who caught it one-handed and shot him quizzical look. "Take her down to the cafeteria and buy her something to soothe her nerves. Chocolate, the miracle cure." He added with a half-smile.

Bikky nodded and gave him a half-hearted scowl. "Don't do anything funny while I'm gone. I'm gonna stay here all night to make sure you leave him alone, you pervert."

Dee scoffed loudly. "Tch. As if. Your snoring's loud enough to wake the dead, brat. Ryo won't get any rest with you sawing logs in here."

Bikky shot him a glare as Carol giggled fitfully. "Bastard. I don't snore!"

He took Carol's hand and led her out of the room, glaring back at Dee.

Dee sighed and leaned back in the chair until he could reach the flowers on the table. As he thought, one of the top-heavy mums had a piece of floral wire stiffening the stem. He removed it and a few twists later, a pair of empty cuffs dangled from the rail. Dee rubbed his wrist and stared broodingly at the door, but found his gaze drawn back to the figure on the bed. His jaw clenched, Dee firmly turned his back on the door.

Ryo looked so fragile lying there. Except for the dark hollows under his eyes and the bruise on his temple, he was nearly colorless. He had lost so much blood before the paramedics had arrived. He had been in surgery for the better part of the morning, doctors struggling to remove the two bullets from his chest and abdomen. It had been a very near thing. And if what JJ said was true, there was still a very good chance of Ryo dying.

Dee sighed and rested his cheek on Ryo's hand, looking up at his partner's too-pale face. "Don't die on me, buddy. Don't you dare die!" His voice broke and he continued in a whisper. "I don't know what I'd do if you died."

Unbidden, his thoughts drifted back to the day before yesterday. They had both had the day off and Bikky was at Carol's for the weekend. It had been an interesting day. They had been lovers for quite some time, but partners for far longer than that, and Dee was discovering that there were still things he didn't know about his partner. Once he had gotten over his initial awkwardness, Ryo had proven to be a passionate and curious lover, endlessly willing to try his hand at this new game.

They had spent a good part of the day in Ryo's oversized bed, making love with careless abandon and talking when they couldn't move anymore. That evening, they had shared a shower and settled in the living room to work on some sadly neglected paperwork. Dee was seated in a careless sprawl on a floor pillow with his back propped against the couch as he sorted through some files. Ryo leaned against the couch beside him with his laptop on his knees as he typed. They had worked in companionable silence for a couple of hours when a yawning Ryo had scooted over to rest his head on Dee's shoulder, merely wanting to be held for a bit.

Dee had willingly obliged, glad for the excuse to have his arms around Ryo. When Ryo, unable to keep his eyes open any longer, had drifted off, Dee sat there and stroked his lover's hair. He had found himself simply happy to be there like that. Happy just to be with him.

A single tear dampened the white linen sheet. "Stay with me."

Dee opened his eyes as a gentle hand brushed his cheek. "Dee."

He looked up into Ryo's dark eyes, brimming with humor and affection. For a moment, he felt as if his heart had stopped, but a sweet smile eased his concern. Why had he been worried? Ryo was safe and he was going to be fine. Dee reached out to touch his face, happy beyond words that Ryo was awake and with him.

"I'm sorry, Dee." Ryo said quietly. "I didn't mean to worry you."

"I'll forgive you just this once, but don't do it again, you prick." Dee smiled and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I won't." Ryo said seriously. "Listen, I think I should tell you the truth. I know I don't say it often enough, but I do love you. You and Bikky and Carol are the most important things in the world to me."

Dee touched his face. "Hush. You worry me when you talk like this. I know you love me, even when you don't say anything."

Ryo's smile was tender. "Maybe I just needed to say it. Just once."

The panic that had faded returned full-force. "What? What are you saying?"

This time the smile was sad. "I'm sorry, Dee. Tell Bikky that I love him like he was my own." Fingers gently brushed his cheek. "I love you. Goodbye, Dee."

Dee woke with an abortive scream, gasping for air as he struggled to get his bearings. Ryo lay still and unmoving except for the slow rise and fall of his bandaged chest. Dee reached out to touch his pale cheek, reassuring himself that his partner was still alive. His heart was drumming a panicked tattoo in his chest as he slowly calmed. What a nightmare!

He glanced around and spotted Bikky asleep in the other chair, sneakered feet propped up on the windowsill. His head was tilted back and he snored softly.

Dee let an oddly affectionate smile curve his lips. "Told you so, brat."

He turned his attention back to Ryo and gently lifted Ryo's hand to kiss his fingertips. "Please don't leave me. I don't think I could stand to be alone anymore."

With a rueful chuckle, Dee smoothed Ryo's hair back. "Y'know, I never did understand all that about dying because someone you loved died. When Arnon and Jess died, it felt like someone had ripped out a part of me and stomped it flat, but I never thought of following them. But when I thought you were leaving me, I thought I would die, it hurt that much. I think if you left me, I _would_ die. Or at least the best part of me would. I'd just be an empty shell, walking through a mockery of life."

Bikky snorted. "Oh, he thinks he's a poet now."

Dee shot a glare at the chair where Bikky still sat unmoving. "Did I hear something?"

"I'm asleep. You didn't hear a damned thing."

Dee allowed himself an evil smile. "So he not only snores, but talks in his sleep. Wait till I tell Carol."

Bikky cracked an eye open for a furious glower. "Bastard."


	4. Chapter 3:Battered and Worn

Chapter Three-Battered and Worn

JJ woke with a start, lifting his head blearily. There was a painful imprint of his computer keyboard on his left cheek. Drake lifted the hand he had used to shake his partner awake. "C'mon, sleeping beauty. Time to rise and shine." He glanced at his watch and chuckled. "Or rather, time to stagger home for a couple of hours of sleep before you have to drag your ass back to work at nine."

JJ blinked at the clock on the wall, forcing his eyes to focus and groaned, rubbing his aching cheek. "Dammit."

Drake shoved a cup of coffee into his hands. "Here. Maybe this'll clear out the cobwebs long enough for you to drive home."

JJ stared at the coffee blearily.

"You're supposed to drink it, genius, not stare at it."

JJ blinked up at his partner. "How long have I been asleep?"

Drake pretended to think for a minute. "Couple of hours. You were talking about nailing the sonuvabitch that shot Ryo and then the next thing I knew, there was silence. You were out and drooling on your keyboard."

JJ rubbed his smarting cheek again with a frown. "And it didn't occur to you to wake me? Or at least to move my head off of the damned keyboard?"

Drake grinned at him, looking all too awake for such a late hour. "Nope."

JJ grimaced and put the untouched coffee down. His eyes felt gritty and swollen and he rubbed them tiredly. "I guess I should get home." He pushed back his chair and wobbled unsteadily, catching himself on the corner of his desk.

Drake frowned at him. "You okay?"

JJ managed a half-hearted smile. "Yeah. Just a little out of it." He yawned and stepped away from his desk. His knee popped and he staggered. Drake caught his arm and steadied him. "You sure you're okay?"

JJ pushed away his concern along with his hand. "I'm fine, Drake-sempai. Just stiff from sitting there too long."

Drake scowled at him as JJ picked up his jacket with exaggerated care. "You're not fine. You look like hell."

JJ drew himself up, offended. "Thank you so much for your concern. I'll be fine."

Drake sighed and caught his arm with a look of forbearance. "Shut up, kid. I'll drive you home."

"I don't need your help, thank you." JJ said coldly. "And I'm _not_ a kid!"

Drake ruffled his hair, earning a yelp of protest. "Aw, don't get angry, JJ. You had a long day. Let me give you a hand."

"Don't patronize me!" JJ jerked his arm free and overbalanced. Wind-milling his arms wildly, he went down on his rump, cracking a shoulder painfully against the corner of his desk. He clutched the injured shoulder, tears of pain leaking out of his eyes.

"Shit, JJ, are you okay?" Drake dropped to his knees next to JJ. "C'mon, look at me! Are you hurt?"

The worry in Drake's voice was just too much after the long emotional day. JJ burst into tears, holding his injured shoulder and rocking back and forth with the force of his sobs.

"Shit, you are hurt! I'll get help!" Drake sounded like he was about to panic as he tried to get to his feet. JJ caught his shirt and shook his head, though he couldn't manage to get words past the sobs constricting his throat. He flung his arms around Drake and buried his face in Drake's shirt. "Wha-?"

JJ sobbed into Drake's chest, unable to stop. Slowly, he felt Drake's arms close around him, one hand stroking his back in a soothing circular motion. "Shh-Shh. It's okay, JJ. Shh." Drake held him, murmuring soothingly into his hair.

JJ wept until his eyes were aching, clinging to Drake's shirt. As the tears ran out, so did his strength and he relaxed into Drake's hold. A part of him marveled at how good Drake felt pressed against him, but he ignored the traitorous thought. As he calmed, other sensations came to him. The dully-throbbing ache in his shoulder and the uncomfortable spot where Drake's keys were digging into his side. The dampness of the linen shirt under his cheek and the salty taste of his own sorrow; the warm arms supporting him and the faint smell of Drake's aftershave surrounding him.

JJ didn't want to move. He felt empty, wrung-out. But Drake's arms were comforting and supportive and for some reason, he wanted them to stay wrapped around him forever. He tried to ignore that odd thought as he hiccupped and tried to breathe through a stuffy nose.

"Are you okay now?" Drake asked quietly, his voice a reassuring rumble under JJ's ear. His hand was still rubbing in comforting circles against JJ's back.

"Yeah." JJ was too wrung out emotionally to be embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Drake-sempai. It's been a long and absolutely rotten day." He sniffled and rubbed his cheek against Drake's shirt.

Drake stiffened a bit and sat up. "I know. C'mon, let's get you home and that shoulder looked at. At the very least, you're going to have one hell of a bruise there."

He helped JJ to his feet and dug his keys out of his pocket. JJ leaned tiredly against him and Drake put a careful arm around his shoulders, avoiding the injured spot. He helped JJ down to Drake's car and eased him into the passenger's seat. Drake leaned across him and helped him buckle the seatbelt when that proved too much for JJ's injured shoulder to handle. JJ gritted his teeth at the renewed surge of pain and bit back fresh tears, staring fixedly at the large damp spot his tears had left on Drake's shirt.

Drake drove to JJ's apartment building and helped him out of the car, after hunting for a parking space for nearly ten minutes. He helped JJ into the lobby and punched the button for the elevator as the old security guard at the desk came to check on him. "Mr. Adams, are you alright?"

JJ offered him a pained grin. "One of the hazards of police work, Mr. Kinsey. I'll be okay."

The elevator dinged and slid open. Drake steered JJ into the elevator with a polite nod at the rent-a-cop. When they reached his apartment, JJ fumbled out his keys. Drake took them and unlocked the door, kicking it open. He shoved it shut with an elbow and deposited JJ on the couch. "Lose the shirt," Drake told him as he turned on the overhead light.

Wincing, JJ peeled out of his shirt. Drake whistled softly. "Ouch."

JJ craned his neck to see, but could only spot the edge of the spreading bruise. There was blood on his shirt, though.

"Stay here," Drake commanded. "I'll get something to clean and bandage that."

"Is it that bad?"

"Bad enough."

JJ winced and pointed down the hall. "First aid stuff's in the cabinet across from the sink, on the shelf above the towels."

Drake nodded and vanished into the bathroom. JJ stared after him with a thoughtful smile. He felt better now, after crying himself out in Drake's arms. The pain might never go away, but the keen edge was dulled for the moment. Drake's comforting presence helped immensely.

Drake returned with an armful of first-aid supplies. "Looks like the corner of the desk broke the skin pretty bad. Nasty bruise too." JJ yelped as Drake poured peroxide on the wound. He gritted his teeth at the sting as it bubbled in the tear. "Sorry." Drake apologized as he gently blotted the blood and peroxide away with a towel. He smoothed on an antibiotic cream and pressed a pad of gauze over it. JJ shivered as Drake deftly taped the pad down, his fingers warm and gentle on the bruised skin.

JJ suppressed another shudder as Drake added another strip of tape. He blinked and considered that reaction with mild surprise. Was he that hard up that he was turned on by his very hetero partner? No. It couldn't be. It was just a reaction brought on by an overly emotional day. He had just had too much today and his body was confused. But Drake's gentle hands were very warm on his shoulders…

JJ shoved that thought away. Even if Dee had rejected him, he still loved him. Drake was his trusted partner, nothing more. Besides, he was as straight as the day was long. "Thanks, Drake-sempai." JJ managed, swallowing.

"Don't thank me. It's my fault you got hurt anyway."

JJ turned. "No, it's not. I overreacted. I was overwrought and I just went a little crazy. You were only trying to help."

Drake frowned at him. "Are you sure you're okay? What happened today? I mean besides Ryo getting shot."

JJ shook his head wearily. "I just realized something, I guess. I didn't want to believe it, but it smacked me in the face. Kind of hard to ignore when that happens."

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"Nope." JJ offered a weary smile. "Thanks for the assist, Drake-sempai."

Drake nodded with resignation. He offered JJ some ibuprofen and went into the kitchen for a bottle of water. JJ found himself watching Drake leave the room and mentally slapped himself when he caught himself noticing what a nice ass Drake had. _Shit! _ He was out of his damned mind.

He accepted the bottle of water and washed down three tablets with half the bottle. He flinched when his movement tugged too hard on the bandages.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Drake asked with a worried frown.

"I'll live." JJ carefully pushed himself up, wincing at the ache of the bruise and the pull of the tape on said bruise. "I'm going to bed."

Drake watched the careful way he moved and stood to assist him, ignoring JJ's protest. JJ planted his feet when he realized Drake had every intention of putting him to bed like a child. "I can manage, Drake-sempai. I'll be fine." He knew his face was turning a little red, but he didn't dare let Drake come too close again, especially if his traitorous body showed its interest in unmistakable ways.

Drake nodded reluctantly. "Get some rest, JJ. And if that shoulder bothers you too much, take a damned day off. Its not like you can't afford it. God knows, you've only got more sick days than the rest of us combined. I have to wonder if you ever get sick." Drake chuckled a little. "I mean it, though. If that shoulder is still giving you problems in the morning, stay the hell home."

JJ gave him a half-hearted smile. "Gotcha."

Drake glanced at him worriedly as he left. JJ locked the door behind him and leaned his uninjured shoulder against it with a sigh of mixed consternation and relief. Moving slowly and carefully, JJ pulled on a pair of pajama bottoms and climbed into bed, determined not to think about Drake or Dee or sex or damned well anything else that he could think of. He said a brief prayer for Ryo and pulled the covers up, curling on his side to keep his aching shoulder from touching the bed.

He was counting heartbeats by the insistent throb in the injury when his body unexpectedly reminded him what Drake had felt like against him. He found himself thinking muzzily that Drake would feel so warm and nice curled up against his back. JJ shook his head fiercely, denying the very thought. He wanted Dee, not Drake. Drake was his too-nice-for-his-own-good-sometimes partner, not a hot guy he wanted badly to drag into his bed and screw till they were both senseless and sated. JJ sat up abruptly, stunned at himself. The insistent pain in his shoulder twinged, but JJ ignored it._ What the hell was he thinking?! _ Dee was the one he wanted in his bed, not Drake. Drake was his partner and as hetero as anything, even if he did have a really nice ass.

His body reacted to the thought and JJ groaned, wondering if he could bear to face Drake tomorrow at work. He'd never been so embarrassed with himself.

_Fuck it_, JJ thought. Drake had told him to call into tomorrow and he was going to follow his advice, if only to gain a little emotional distance from the events of the night. Satisfied with the thought, JJ was asleep as soon as he turned off the light.


	5. Chapter 4:With Friends Like These

Chapter Four-With Friends like These, Who needs Enemas?

_A/N-- New chapter up. Sorry...there was an error when we were uploading this story and somehow chapter two got left out. Problem fixed. Hope you enjoy the story. Reviews are always welcome. Kita gets twitchy when she thinks no one likes her. _

Dee woke slowly, more than a little stiff from a night spent in a hospital chair. He jerked fully awake as he remembered where he was and why. The nurse checking Ryo's pulse jumped as he sat up abruptly. Bikky was awake too and stuck out his tongue as Dee blinked sleep out of his eyes.

The nurse calmed and smiled at him. "Good morning. He's doing much better this morning. His blood pressure's almost normal and his pulse is steady. With any luck he should be coming around soon. Maybe even later today."

Dee sighed with relief, feeling as though an enormous weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He thanked the nurse and held Ryo's hand for her as she took a blood sample. When she left, he held the same hand pressed to his cheek, pleased to feel the warmth had returned to the skin. Bikky gave him a defiant grimace but said nothing, content to let Dee hold Ryo's hand as long as he had the reassurances of the nurse that Ryo was doing better.

After he had reassured himself again, Dee went into the room's small bathroom and cleaned himself up a little. When he felt more like something human, he called Bikky's school and let them know that Bikky would be out for today, tomorrow, and possibly longer than that. While he was doing so, there was a tap on the door and Drake stuck his head in. He looked like he had been the one to spend a night in a hospital chair, hair mussed and jacket rumpled. He didn't have a tie and there were dark shadows beneath his gray eyes, but he greeted Bikky cheerfully enough and waited for Dee to hang up the phone.

He grinned tiredly at Dee and glanced at the empty cuff dangling from the bed rail. "I figured you got yourself out of that in no time flat, but I had to come down here to make sure. JJ wouldn't shut up about it when he called in this morning."

That seemed odd. "Called in? What's wrong with him?"

Drake flushed, which struck Dee as even odder. "He took a fall last night and bunged up his shoulder but good. I told him to call in if it was still bothering him this morning. For once the goofball took my advice."

"A fall?" Dee scratched his rumpled hair. "What happened?"

Drake shrugged. "A little accident. It's nothing. I'll check on him after shift. Give him a day or two and he'll be chasing you down the halls, screaming, _'Dee-sempai, the Love God!' _again."

Dee grimaced. "Oh, thank you for that image."

Drake grinned. "Anytime." He shoved his fingers through his disheveled hair. "Listen, I'm supposed to tell you that you're supposed to stay here with Ryo. To quote our beloved chief, 'Tell that thickheaded idiot that if I see his dumb ass anywhere but in his apartment or at the hospital, I will personally kick it from here to Poughkeepsie.' You get me?" Drake's imitation of the chief's gruff tone was nearly perfect.

Dee scowled but finally relented with a reluctant chuckle. "Old bastard always did know me a little too well."

Drake snorted. "Sometimes I think he knows all of us a little too well. I'll head out now if there's nothing you need. I've got a stack of files on the McElroy case waiting for me at the station. And with JJ laid up, guess who has to do all the paperwork?" He shrugged. "So, anything you need?"

"Nothing I can think of. The brat can fetch and carry for me if I need something."

Drake chuckled as Bikky stuck his tongue out at Dee. "All right. See you later then. We're still working on finding the bastard who did this to Ryo, Dee. We will get him. That's a promise. Nobody shoots a cop and gets away with it."

Dee offered him a grateful smile, surprised to find that he meant it.

Drake nodded and waved goodbye to Bikky as he turned to go.

"Hey, Drake."

Drake turned back with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Don't think I've forgotten you dragging my ass here in handcuffs, buddy. I _will_ pay you back."

Drake winced and hurried his step. Dee nodded, satisfied. Drake would spend so much time watching his back that he'd never see that _that_ _was_ Dee's payback. He'd spend the next few weeks jumping at shadows while Dee sat back and laughed his ass off.

Bikky knew what Dee was doing and shook his blonde head. "That's mean even for you, Perv."

Dee spared him a glance and a small smirk. "Fair payback for tackling me and cuffing me."

Bikky scratched his the back of his head. "If I remember right, it was Ted who actually cuffed you. Not Drake."

"Only cause I kicked Drake's cuffs into next week."

Bikky had witnessed the whole skirmish. After he had picked him up at school, Ted had gotten Drake's frantic phone call and hurried to help him track down and detain the errant detective. Fortunately, Dee wasn't hard to find. A call from the bartender at the Lies and Alibis saying that a crazy man with a gun was threatening one of his customers for information had led them straight to him.

Bikky shrugged. "Whatever. I'm just saying, man…"

Dee rose to his feet. "Shut up, monkey brat. Keep your eyes on Ryo. I'm going down to the cafeteria for food. What do you want?"

"Milk and whatever they have that doesn't involve salad, egg salad or, for that matter, mayo." Bikky answered promptly, making a face. Egg salad was on his _'never again'_ list after he'd had a sandwich at a school picnic that had given him a bad case of food poisoning. And while Ryo wasn't quite a health nut, he considered salads one of the four basic food groups. Bikky got heartily tired of rabbit food every now and again.

"Gotcha. I'll be right back."

"Dee." Bikky called after him.

"Yeah?"

"I don't recommend bolting either. Ted had a chat with your favorite nurse last night and told her to keep an eye on you in case you tried to get a little revenge. I saw him here when I took Carol down to the cafeteria." Bikky shuddered theatrically. "She grinned and started saying something about enemas. I didn't hang around to hear the rest."

Dee stared at him in disbelief. "You're frigging kidding me."

Bikky looked thoughtful. "What was her name again? Emiry, wasn't it? Gorilla nurse Emiry?" He used his hands to describe a figure in the air, that of a heavyset, powerfully-built woman. "Built like a bulldozer and mean as a pitbull?"

"Shit."

Bikky grinned at the door as it closed behind Dee. He'd have to thank Carol for reminding him of nurse Emiry last night. Course, Dee would be pissed at Ted, but then it wasn't fair that Drake got all the shit. Since the death of his real father many years ago, Bikky had gotten to know everyone at the 27th precinct and he liked most all of them. Marty reminded him of his dad when he had been in a cheerful, expansive mood. Ted was nuts, but funny as hell, and the spastic JJ just made him laugh. Poor Drake always seemed to get the short end of the stick and just accepted everything that came his way phlegmatically.

Bikky grinned at his ploy again and leaned back in his chair, quietly telling the unresponsive Ryo what he had done to curb Dee's need for revenge. Ryo had always been the one to keep Dee's temper on a short leash, but with him hospitalized, Bikky figured somebody had to take up the slack.

He grinned again as he heard footsteps in the corridor outside and Dee grumbling under his breath. Dee must have gotten all the way to the cafeteria before he realized he had given Bikky his wallet last night and hadn't gotten it back yet. Bikky tossed the wallet up in the air and caught it with a mischievous smile.


	6. Chapter 5:Casual Dreams

Chapter Five-Casual Dreams

Drake sighed as he pushed back from his desk. The office seemed too quiet without JJ. He glanced at the clock. His shift was damn near over. Maybe he'd take off a few minutes early to go check on JJ before he headed home. He shoved the paperwork to one side and yawned, standing and stretching the muscles in his back.

He gave the papers one last disdainful glance before grabbing his jacket. Poor Officer Ellis had been singularly unhelpful, not that he was deliberately trying to be. The suspect had been involved in a bank robbery and Ellis had been unlucky enough to be the first on the scene. He had tracked the man to the warehouse district when the perp had decided to open fire. Ellis had never even gotten a good look at him.

Shaking his head, Drake waved goodbye to Ted on his way out. On a whim, he decided to stop at the pharmacy and pick up a couple things for JJ. It wasn't like there was anyone waiting at home for him anyway. He had come home about a month ago to Brandy's note on pink stationary taped to his door. She felt he _'wasn't committed to making this relationship work'_ and hoped they _'could still be friends.' _ Drake still wouldn't answer her phone calls and when she had showed up on his doorstep to talk to him had opened the door far enough to hand her all of her left-behind stuff, neatly packed into a box, before closing the door in her face. It had cost him an hour of her yelling through the door (till Carla Jenkins across the hall had told her in no uncertain terms to shut up and slapped her when she hadn't) and a little bit of guilt, but on the whole, he had been immensely cheered by the moment. As a rule, he was on good terms with most of his ex-girlfriends, but she had pissed him off and he had felt liberated enough to express it.

He picked up some more gauze and a topical painkiller/antibiotic in the pharmacy. If he was any judge, that shoulder had to be hurting like hell. He stopped at the deli across the street and picked up food for both of them. The least he could do would be to bring dinner, right? Wincing at the smell of the jalapenos from JJ's favorite sandwich, he drove to JJ's apartment building. He was always a little unnerved by the place. Only uptown places had rent-a-cops guarding the front. How the hell did JJ afford a place like this on a detective's salary? In someone else, he might have suspected they were dirty, but JJ was so clean he squeaked.

He passed the security guard, flashing his badge when the old man gave him a suspicious look. "I'm Mr. Adams partner, remember? I came to check on him and bring him some dinner."

The guard's face cleared and he let Drake pass. Drake took the elevator up and tapped on JJ's door. He heard a groan from inside and then JJ's voice, strained with pain. "Hang on. I'll be right there."

JJ opened the door, wrapped in a blue terrycloth robe. He blinked at Drake and then much to his surprise, turned red.

"JJ, you okay?"

JJ had to visibly pull himself together. "Uh, y-yeah. Sorry, the shoulder's just bugging me." He stepped back to let Drake into his neat living room.

Drake frowned at him but said nothing more than, "By way of apology, I bring dinner and painkillers."

JJ laughed a little breathlessly, wincing when it hurt his shoulder. "You don't-ow!-have to apologize. I was just a little on edge. It's more my fault than yours."

Drake frowned at him again, thinking that JJ seemed to be acting a little odd. "You look like hell. Have you taken anything for that?"

JJ shook his head. "Not since last night."

Drake bopped him on the head affectionately. "Idiot. You sit down and eat while I get you something to wash down a couple of ibuprofen."

JJ meekly did as he was told and Drake handed him his heartburn special. JJ unwrapped it and offered Drake a weak grin. "My favorite."

"You bet. Now eat while I get you something to take for that."

"Sir, yes, sir."

Drake grinned and flipped him a mock salute before going in search of water or something.

Drake was too damned nice for his own good. JJ watched him head for the kitchen, chewing slowly on a bite of his sandwich. His heart hurt almost as badly as his abused shoulder. If he loved Dee so much why the hell was Drake the one foremost in his thoughts? And he did love Dee. He had never stopped loving him; no matter how many times Dee had shoved him away.

JJ felt more than a little out-of-sorts. His sleep had been restless last night, broken by the ache in his shoulder and…

He felt himself blushing again. Drake would never forgive him if he knew JJ'd been having fucking awesome wet dreams about him. JJ swallowed hard, forcing the bite down. God, he'd had some dreams about Dee before and as an adolescent, of course, but nothing like last night's hit parade. He'd come at least twice in his sleep. God, if Drake only knew…

Drake returned with a glass of soda and a couple of painkillers and JJ was glad his sandwich was resting in his lap. Just the memory of those dreams last night… Meekly, he took the painkillers and forced himself to eat a little more as Drake propped his hip on the arm of the couch and dug into his own dinner. "How're you feeling?"

JJ had to swallow before he could answer. "Okay, I guess. Just sore and a little tired. The shoulder kept me from sleeping well last night."

Drake scowled thoughtfully. "Should I drive you to the doctor? You might have cracked something. You did hit the corner of the desk pretty hard, y'know?"

JJ shook his head, suppressing a wince as the movement pulled at the muscles in his back. Drake caught it though. "Is it still hurting that bad?"

"I'm okay, Drake-sempai. Really."

Drake frowned, but let the lie pass. "Take tomorrow off too. If it's still bugging you that bad after that, I'm taking you to the hospital." Drake scowled at him and tapped the end of JJ's nose with his plastic fork. "And that means no trying to fake your way out of it, either. I can tell when you're hurting, comprende?"

"But…"

"No buts!" Drake leaned in too close for JJ's comfort, especially with the memories of last night's dreams still fresh. JJ tried not to flinch. "You call in tomorrow too and rest up. I'll come check on you after work. If it's still bugging you, I will take you to the hospital if I have to drag you there kicking and screaming."

JJ gave in. "Alright."

"Promise me, JJ."

JJ sighed. "I promise."

Drake leaned back. "That's better. I swear you can be a bigger baby than Dee sometimes."

JJ flinched at the sound of Dee's name. It still hurt, a bone-deep searing ache worse than his injured shoulder. His crying jag last night had only dulled the pain a little. "How's Ryo?" He asked desperately.

Drake sighed. "A little better. I called Dee and he said that his blood pressure has stabilized and hopefully he should be coming around soon. The doctors are optimistic since he's made it this far. He was lucky to have survived the bullet through the lung at all."

"Yeah." JJ slumped, missing the worried expression that crossed Drake's face.

"JJ, he'll be okay." Drake reached out and caught his chin, tipping his head up so their eyes met squarely. "I know what's going through that head of yours. The shooting was in no way your fault. Occasionally wishing someone would drop off the face of the earth does not mean it will happen. Your envy and jealousy of Ryo didn't cause him to be shot."

JJ gawped at Drake, completely and utterly unable to form words. At last he managed to get his tongue unstuck. "H-how-?"

"Did I manage to know what you were thinking? There's not a person in the world that hasn't thought that at some point. You've only made your feelings for Dee loud and clear. It's natural that you'd be jealous of Ryo. At some point you wished he'd go away, didn't you?"

JJ blinked. Since when had Drake been able to read him so well?

"I'll take that as a yes. There was no voodoo or bad karma involved in him getting shot. Just bad luck and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You had nothing to do with it. So tell that guilty conscience to shove off and cheer the hell up, okay? I hate it when you mope."

JJ mulled that over in stunned silence. Logically, he knew he had nothing to do with the shooting, but his heart was having a hard time believing it. Having someone else tell him the same thing eased his mind a little. And Drake hated it when he moped? Where had that come from?

But now that he thought about it, it was true. Whenever Dee had pushed him away, Drake had been nearby to offer a consoling word or a distraction. Every time he had started to feel down, Drake had managed to cheer him.

JJ shivered a little. Was he crazy in thinking like this? Drake wasn't his lover.

_But he could be,_ a niggling doubt murmured in his mind. _Remember the dreams. It could be like that._

The feel of skin sliding against skin, the crush of Drake's strong arms around him, the heat of their bodies pressed together all whispered seductively through his thoughts. The warmth of Drake's hand on his chin was enough to make the sensations come to life. He was very glad the remains of his dinner were still in his lap. He had to fight an urge to drag Drake's head down and kiss him till he didn't know which way was up.

And he wanted to; wanted to so badly that it was a physical ache. JJ was shocked at himself. Drake was his friend, not…

"JJ?"

Drake's concerned voice dragged him back to reality and JJ jumped, tugging his chin free of Drake's warm fingers. "I'm sorry, Drake-sempai. I guess I'm more tired than I thought. I must have been drifting." He shook his head. "I know you're right, but I still feel guilty."

Drake chuckled. "Join the rest of the human race, JJ. We all feel that way every now and again." JJ fought the urge to duck as Drake ruffled his hair as he had done so many times before. "Tell you what, let me change your bandage and you can go to bed early; catch up on some of that sleep you missed."

JJ flushed. "That's okay, you don't have to." The thought of Drake's gentle fingers on his back made him shiver.

Drake shrugged. "I don't mind. Besides, you can't exactly reach it, can you?" He dug in the bag he had brought with him. "Anyway, I brought something to put on it to dull the pain. Maybe that'll let you get some sleep."

It was clear that Drake wasn't going to give up, so JJ acquiesced reluctantly, slipping the robe off his shoulders with a carefulness that had very little to do with how bad his shoulder hurt. He clenched his hands in his lap as Drake sat behind him and eased the tape off his bruised skin.

Drake made a sound of surprise. "I won't say it looks better, cause it's turned some interesting new colors, but at least it's not bleeding anymore." He rose and returned with the peroxide. JJ flinched from the sting of the cold liquid.

Drake steadied him. "Sorry. I know that hurts." He blotted the peroxide away and then gently smoothed on the painkilling antibiotic. JJ sighed as it dulled the edge of the stabbing pain. "Better?"

"Much. Thank you, Drake-sempai."

"Sure." Drake gently added a fresh pad of gauze and taped it into place with sure fingers.

He helped JJ ease the robe back up. JJ felt on more stable ground with it on and managed a feeble joke. "You make a good nurse, Drake-sempai. You'd look good in the little white outfit."

Drake scowled at him and swatted the top of his head gently. "Moron."

JJ managed a weak grin.

Drake sighed but his lips quirked in a small smile. "Alright, nutcase, I'll leave you to get some sleep. I mean it about taking the day off and seeing if that helps. If it doesn't…" He left the threat unfinished but JJ raised his hands in surrender.

"I know, I know. The whole drag me to the hospital, kicking and screaming bit. I understand."

"Good. As long as we're both on the same page." Drake waved a cheery goodbye and headed for the front door.

JJ watched him let himself out and shook his head. "Oh no, Drake-sempai. There's no way we're on the same page. Hell, we're not even in the same book."

He struggled to his feet and put away the rest of the sandwich and crawled into bed. He curled up on his side and stared at the shadows outside his window. Was he crazy? He loved Dee, but Dee wasn't his and never would be. Ryo had captured Dee's heart as effortlessly as Dee had once captured JJ's.

JJ found his thoughts returning to Drake without his willing them to. They had been partners for a long time and were a good team. Sometimes they were so in sync they could finish each other's sentences, and they had gotten the sport of bluffing the chief down to an art form when they didn't have the answers he was looking for. JJ thought back to how easily they worked together, one making up for the other's shortcomings. JJ was by far the better marksman, but Drake had the people skills he lacked. Drake was able to make amazing intuitive leaps about their cases, but he was utterly disorganized when it came to paperwork. Half their reports would never get filed if JJ hadn't either constantly prodded Drake to do them or (more often) done them himself.

Drake had been at his side through a lot of shit and he had never faltered. He offered JJ support when his confidence lagged and always had a joke when cheering was what he needed. God, if he thought about it, it was more like Drake was his lover than Dee ever was. Drake always knew when he was down and could be counted on to offer a distraction if it was needed.

JJ pulled a pillow over his head with unnecessary violence and groaned. Drake, Drake, Drake! He was like a frigging broken record! God, what the hell was he thinking? Drake wasn't interested. He had gone through several girlfriends since they had been partners. Not one boyfriend in the bunch. There was no way he would ever look at JJ as anything other than his partner.

JJ groaned again. Man, he needed to get laid. His last date had been nearly a year ago, and the last time he'd had sex… Well, he couldn't remember that far back. He had never been overly promiscuous, but he had enjoyed company regularly before he came here. But when he was near Dee, no one else mattered. After it had been made clear Dee wasn't interested, he had accepted a few invitations, but nothing major had ever come from them. He didn't do one-night stands. His sex life was at a standstill.

He'd had one experience with a normally straight man a few years back. JJ had been overly depressed after a stinging rejection from Dee and Drake had been out of town. He'd gone out for a drink and met Steve, who was hurting from a rejection of his own. His girlfriend of six years had left him and he was determined to get drunk enough to forget her. He was well on his way when JJ had come into the bar. JJ was never sure how it had started, but the two of them had wound up in a hotel room together. The sex had been good, but the morning after guilt trip Steve had laid on himself had turned JJ off to any more casual sex with normally straight men.

He turned over, eliciting a dull stab from his shoulder, and tried not to think about it any more. Weariness caught up with him and he was starting to drift off when a question occurred to him and followed him down into the darkness of sleep. With Drake, would it-no, _could _it be casual?


	7. Chapter 6:Awakening

Chapter Six: Awakening

_A/N- thanks to FinniganToldMeTo and Firesnake for reviewing. Glad you like it so far. This chapter is a little short, but it's important._

Dee groaned, batting at the irritating touch on his cheek. He was sore and tired from a second night spent in the chair beside Ryo's hospital bed. Ryo hadn't woken yesterday and Dee wasn't going to leave him. He shifted, but the sensation wouldn't go away. It felt like someone was gently stroking his cheek.

Dee dragged his eyes open and met the gaze of a beloved black pair, hazy from pain.

Ryo offered a painful smile and continued to stroke his cheek with gentle fingers. "Dee-" He mouthed painfully, but no sound came from his parched lips.

"_Ryo!"_ Dee bolted upright, catching Ryo's hand and pressing it to his lips.

His shout woke Bikky and the teenager scrambled to Ryo's bedside. "Ryo!" Tears shone in his eyes.

Ryo mouthed Bikky's name lovingly and lifted his hand to him, heedless of the IV in that arm. Bikky caught his hand and held it, shivering with reaction. Dee saw the sudden relaxation in tensed shoulders and reached across the bed to ruffle his blonde hair. Bikky glanced up at him with tear-bright eyes, and Dee was struck by just how much Bikky had grown to love his foster father and how much it would have hurt him to lose Ryo on top of his real father all those years ago. Almost as much as it would have killed Dee to lose the love of his life. For a moment they were united in their love for the pale man on the hospital bed between them. Then the moment broke and they turned their attention back to Ryo.

He smiled at both of them and Dee had the presence of mind to hit the call button for the nurse. She hurried into the room a few minutes later and grinned to see Ryo awake. "Good morning, Mr. MacLean. How are you feeling?"

Ryo grimaced. "Hurts like hell…" He mouthed.

She nodded. "I don't doubt it. We had to dig two bullets out of you. Don't try to talk yet. One of those bullets compromised a lung. It probably hurts just to breathe. Let's not stress it just yet."

Ryo nodded slowly, shaping the word "hurts" again.

She nodded. "We'll get you some pain medication soon. Let me take your blood pressure and pulse rate and I'll get you something, promise."

Ryo grimaced and freed his hand from Dee's grasp to offer his arm to the nurse. Dee murmured soothingly to Ryo as she worked. Ryo smiled painfully at him and mouthed silent responses. Bikky got him a glass of water and helped him sip it through a straw as the nurse finished her work. "Blood pressure's still a little low but good considering. Pulse is elevated but I can chalk that up to the pain. Just rest, Mr. MacLean. I'll be back in two shakes with something for the pain."

Ryo mouthed the words 'thank you' at her as she hurried out.

Dee recaptured his hand and cradled it against his cheek. "God, Ryo, you scared the crap out of me. Out of both of us." He amended after a glance at Bikky. "I thought my heart would stop when I saw you sprawled on that warehouse floor."

"What happened?" Ryo mouthed after he had touched Bikky's cheek and offered the teen what was meant to be a reassuring smile.

"Ellis said that the perp must have seen you coming. When you went down, the idiot shot the gas tank of a forklift. He managed to escape during the explosion." Dee's voice was matter-of-fact, as if he were talking about anything but the shooting that had nearly cost the life of the man on the bed before him. That lasted all of three seconds, before Dee pressed his lips to Ryo's pale fingers. His voice trembled. "I thought I lost you."

Ryo smiled painfully at him. "I'm not going anywhere." He mouthed.

"God, I love you." Dee stroked his cheek and stood to kiss him softly.

Bikky scowled. "Could you not do that in public, please? The nurse is here with the meds. I'm sure she doesn't want to see that!"

The pretty blonde nurse just smiled at him. "I've seen worse, honey. It's actually kind of cute."

Ryo blushed red as Dee turned to grin at Bikky.

"Well, we must have done something right if you can turn that red." The nurse smiled impishly at him as she injected the painkiller she had promised into Ryo's IV. She monitored him for a moment and then patted Dee's arm. "He'll probably fall back asleep in a few minutes. That's the best thing for him while his body tries to repair the damage. But he's been awake and alert, so he'll be fine. You two should take the chance to clean up and get some rest. You don't and you'll get sick." She offered them a mischievous smile. "Maybe you can all share a room."

Dee actually chuckled. "You win. We'll be good."

"Good." She patted his shoulder. "When he falls asleep, go home, get a shower and a couple of hours of real sleep. We'll keep an eye on him, don't worry."

Dee returned her smile before resuming his seat next to Ryo's bed. He and Bikky talked to him until it was clear the pale man was barely managing to keep his eyes open. When he finally gave up the fight, Dee rose to his feet. "C'mon, brat. We have our marching orders."

Bikky stuck out his tongue but followed Dee down to the first floor and to the car. Dee tossed him the phone as he started the car and pulled out into the midday traffic. "Here, brat. Call Drake for me and let him know the news and ask him to pass it on to the chief and everyone. He's number four on speed-dial."

Bikky obeyed. After a couple of rings, Drake's sleep-roughened voice came on the line. "Parker."

"Ooh, my bad. Were you asleep?"

He could hear Drake sitting up in bed. "That's okay. How's Ryo?"

"He woke up for a while and talked to us. Well, whispered to us, anyway. The nurse gave him something for the pain and he fell back asleep, but she said he's good. She said him waking up was a good thing." Bikky knew he was babbling, but couldn't seem to stop. The relief wouldn't let him. "He can't really talk, 'cause it hurts just to breathe, but he managed to whisper a few things. She said he's good, but that he needs to sleep some more cause that'll help him heal. She made us go home to take a shower!" Bikky sounded aggrieved at that. "I don't stink! The Perv might, but I don't."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line as Drake struggled to digest the information that had just been thrown at him. "That-that's great news, kiddo. I'm glad he's okay. You want me to pass it on to everyone at work?"

"Please."

"You got it." Drake chuckled softly. "And keep an eye on Dee, willya? I don't know how you managed to keep him from sneaking out, but good job. Keep up the good work. He's on leave till we bust the guy who did this to Ryo. Dee's a little too involved, ya read me? If he does anything, you call one of us, or call down to the station and ask for extension thirteen. That'll get you the chief. Make sure you tell him everything you know if Dee does do something crazy, so we can head him off before he gets himself in major trouble. Understood?"

"I understand." Bikky shot a glance at Dee, who was still concentrating on weaving his way out of a tangle of traffic.

"You remember the extension, right?"

"Yeah. It's good."

Drake sounded relieved. "Good. Just remember, okay? He does anything, don't try to take him on yourself, but make sure one of us knows as soon as you can."

"Gotcha."

"Thanks, Bikky."

Bikky pressed the end button and glanced at Dee again.

"So what did Drake have to say?" Dee kept his eyes on the road, cursing softly and creatively at the gaggle of tourists that were crossing the intersection, oblivious to the fact that the light had changed.

Bikky crossed his fingers. "He said to remind you that you were on leave indefinitely and not to go anywhere but the hospital."

"He's a worrywart."

"With good reason. You aren't exactly known to keep a level head, doofus."

"Watch the name calling, monkey brat." Dee shot him a brief scowl. "I know my marching orders. I hate to admit it, but I know they're right. I'm way too close to this and liable to go off the deep end if anything happens."

Bikky stared at him in dumb surprise.

Dee laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. "I'm not as stupid as you seem to think. I can't risk losing Ryo."

"Right." Bikky said softly. "I understand that."


	8. Chapter 7:Are You Sure He's Normal?

Chapter Seven-Are You Sure He's Normal?

_Many thanks to FinniganToldMeTo and Firgodes7 for reviewing. Hope you like how it's going._

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Drake hung up the phone and looked at his clock thoughtfully. He had a couple hours before his shift and there was no way he could go back to sleep now. He called Ted, knowing that he was still on duty. Ted chuckled when he passed on the news about Ryo and what he had told Bikky. "Nice call."

"I thought so. Maybe we can keep Dee out of trouble long enough to track this creep down and throw his ass safely behind bars." Drake laughed. "Pass on the good news, willya? I got things to do before I drag my ass in there for my shift."

"Yeah, I got ya. How's spazzo boy, you know?"

"He was hurting pretty good when I went to check on him last night. If he's not any better, I'm dragging his skinny butt to the hospital tonight." Drake scratched his sleep-rumpled hair and sighed. "He managed to bang up his shoulder royally and I'm a little worried. Way he hit the desk when he fell, he could have done something more than bruise it, y'know?"

"I meant to ask, what happened? All I got was the short, short version."

"Not much to tell. JJ fell asleep at his desk. I woke him up to go home, but he wasn't too steady on his feet. Figure it must have been the stress of the whole thing with Ryo and the four hours we spent down there with forensics, trying to figure out where the bastard could have gone. Anyways, I offered to drive him home, cause it was pretty obvious he was feeling guilty 'bout what happened to Ryo-" At the questioning sound from Ted, Drake sighed again. "Y'know how jealous the little guy is of Ryo. He was thinking-"

"…It was his fault. Got it." Ted groaned. "JJ's wound way too tight if you ask me. I don't know how you put up with him every day."

"Ah, he's not that bad. Just a little too excitable. Anyway, he got mad when I grabbed his arm and yanked free. He was too unsteady to stay on his feet, so boom-he landed on his ass. Hit his shoulder on the corner of his desk on the way down."

"Ouch." He could hear the wince in Ted's voice. "He should have had that looked at."

Drake rose to his feet, rubbing sleepily at the stubble on his chin, and staggered towards the bathroom. "That's what I thought too, but he was so upset, I figured best let him get some rest. But it was still really bothering him last night. The whole damned shoulder was black and blue, not to mention all the other colors in between."

"Shit." Drake heard Ted's chair squeak. "You still got little over two hours before you're on duty. Why don't you drag his ass down to the hospital now instead of after shift? I'll cover for you if you're a little late."

Drake was so surprised by the offer, he nearly dropped the phone. "That's awful nice of you, but who are you and what have you done with the real Ted?"

"Ha-ha, funny." Ted said darkly. "You'll just be worried about him anyway, so might as well do it now. Don't think I'm doing this for nothing, though. You'll owe me."

Drake laughed. "In other words, cover you sometime you have a date, hmm?"

"On the money. Go on. Take JJ to the hospital. Just call me if you're going to be more than a couple of hours late, kay?"

"Thanks, man."

"Sure." Ted hung up and Drake glanced at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He looked like hell. He needed a shower before he tackled stuffing 'spazzo boy' into his car for a trip to the ER. He'd have better luck putting a cranky Rottweiler in the car if JJ didn't want to go. JJ wasn't very big and was certainly not the strongest man in the precinct, but he was hands-down the most stubborn. Even the chief admitted that, and Smith was one of the most pig-headed individuals Drake had ever met. Drake sighed and turned on the water.

Twenty minutes later, he pulled up to JJ's apartment building. He snarled as the first spatters of cold rain hit the windshield. Of all the times for a rainstorm to start. Ducking his head, he pelted across the street and into the lobby just ahead of a deluge. The old man wasn't at the desk, so Drake made it to the elevators un-accosted. He tapped on JJ's door. There was no answer, so he knocked harder.

The door swung open as he was going for a third volley. JJ looked a little wild-eyed, clutching his blue bathrobe closed with one hand as he stared at Drake like he'd suddenly sprouted horns or something.

"D-Drake?"

"You okay, JJ?" Drake asked worriedly. JJ was rumpled and unshaven (not that it wasn't harder than hell to tell with his light, oddly-colored hair) and had dark circles under his eyes, giving him the look of a shell-shocked raccoon. Drake had never seen his partner looking so rough. Never. "Did I wake you?"

"Y-yeah. Sorry. I didn't sleep well. Did you need something?" JJ's eyes darted around, looking anywhere but at Drake.

"How's the shoulder?"

JJ grimaced. "Achy and stiff." He backed away enough to let Drake into the apartment, still carefully looking everywhere but at his partner. "What's the matter?"

Drake snorted. "I should be the one asking you that, shouldn't I? You look awful."

JJ didn't even pretend offense this time. "Yeah, well…"

That wasn't a good sign. Drake shoved his hand through his hair. "Get dressed, JJ. I'm taking you to the hospital, like it or not."

That brought a little life into JJ's eyes, though he still steadfastly refused to look at Drake. "Who made you my mother?"

"I'm not your mother, JJ. I'm your partner and I'm worried about you. Isn't that enough?"

JJ turned his head and muttered something softly under his breath. Drake scowled at him. Had he heard JJ say, 'Not nearly?' He shook his head, dismissing the odd thought. "Please, JJ. I want a doctor to look at that shoulder. I don't like the way it looked last night. Okay?"

For the first time since he had answered the door, JJ looked up into Drake's face. "Y-you're really that worried?"

"Yeah." Drake told him. "I'm that worried."

JJ sighed and some tension seemed to flow out of his shoulders. "Okay. Give me a second to get dressed."

Drake nodded and ruffled JJ's hair. JJ didn't protest and in fact seemed to rather enjoy the treatment. "Go on. I'll wait."

JJ closed the bedroom door behind him and leaned against it. God, what had he done to deserve a partner like Drake? The man was a saint sometimes. JJ frowned at himself. Okay, maybe not a saint. He smoked too damn much for one thing, and could never seem to tell anyone no, but he cared more than any one person should be allowed to.

JJ allowed himself a small smile as he shed his robe and dug out a fresh pair of boxers with his good arm. Drake had startled him, showing up the way he had this morning. Fresh from another dream about his partner, finding him in the flesh on his doorstep had nearly been enough to stop his heart. The dream last night hadn't been like the others the night before. He'd dreamt he was living with Drake, basking in a relationship like he'd never enjoyed before. It had been wonderful. JJ had never wanted it to end.

To distract himself, he called through the door as he struggled to pull on his slacks. "Any word on Ryo-sempai?"

He heard Drake's rich chuckle. "He woke up this morning and talked to Dee and Bikky for a while. Well, whispered, according to Bikky. The nurse said he's doing good."

JJ allowed himself a small moment of relief. "That's good."

After struggling with a shirt for a long moment without the slightest measure of success, JJ came out of the bedroom with the shirt in hand. "Can you help me with this? My shoulder isn't cooperating." Drake chuckled and rose to help him ease into the shirt. He buttoned it carefully and JJ basked for a moment in that small intimacy.

"There." Drake stepped back and JJ felt a rush of loss. He hid it with a smile. "Are you ready to sacrifice me before the alter of modern medicine?" He pulled the full fainting starlet move, pressing the back of his good hand to his forehead.

"Goofball." Drake held the door open for him. "Let's go."

JJ waved goodbye to the rent-a-cop at the door and accompanied Drake to his car, both of them pelting breathlessly through the rain. JJ slid in the passenger's seat, where he just waited patiently for Drake to dash around to the driver's side and help him with the seatbelt. Drake wasn't sure what to make of the strangely complacent JJ, but he wasn't complaining. Oddly enough, when they got to the hospital, the ER wasn't crowded. There was an old man with a persistent cough and a mother with a feverish baby and a girl who looked barely out of her teens with a badly cut up arm and two toddlers clinging to her legs. Both Drake and JJ winced at that last, recognizing the signs of domestic abuse in the girl's scared face and the shell-shocked expressions of the two little ones. While JJ filled out the paperwork and showed the nurse his insurance card, Drake carefully approached the girl, who looked like she might bolt if he came too close.

"I won't say anything but this." Drake produced a card from his wallet and laid it on the seat beside her. "This lady is a good friend of mine. She can help. You don't want to see that-" He gestured at her bleeding arm. "-Happen to them." Drake glanced down at the two children, who were staring at him curiously, and smiled at them.

The girl drew a shocked breath and glanced down at the children as Drake walked back to where JJ was taking a seat. He glanced back once to see the girl pick up the card with a hard, determined look on her face. He sighed in relief and glanced back at JJ who was watching him with an odd little half-smile.

"What?"

"You're a really nice guy, Drake-sempai. Your good deed for the day?" JJ nodded toward the girl, who was being summoned by the nurse.

Drake shrugged. "No. Just doing my job." He prodded JJ's arm. "I'm still doing my good deed for today."

JJ frowned at him. "So I'm just your 'good deed'?"

Drake rolled his eyes. "Don't get personal, JJ. I was joking. I'm helping you because you're my partner and my friend and I worry, okay?"

JJ nodded with another small smile and settled back into his seat. Drake shook his head, wondering what the hell had brought that on. JJ baffled him on a regular basis, but lately, Drake couldn't make heads or tails out of his behavior. He sighed as the nurse asked the abused girl to follow her. Drake smiled reassuringly at her and felt some small triumph when she tentatively smiled back. There was one who had the moxie to not end up as a statistic. He was glad of that.

They had been sitting there for about thirty minutes and had seen the woman and baby be called into an examination room and a few others come in and take seats when Drake felt a weight on his shoulder. Surprised, he glanced down to see JJ's head resting on his shoulder, features relaxed in sleep. He stifled a chuckle. It looked like that lack of sleep was catching up with him. "You pick the oddest places to doze off." Drake murmured quietly.

JJ muttered sleepily and snuggled closer to Drake, wrapping his arms around Drake's bicep like it was some sort of teddy bear. Drake tried not to blush at the knowing look he got from a teenager with one foot in a cast and a paperback book in one hand. It wasn't like that, but any protest would be useless. People would draw their own assumptions and any denial would make them more certain they were right.

He was relieved when the nurse finally called JJ's name. He gently shook JJ awake and steadied his groggy steps as the nurse led them to an examining room. He helped JJ up onto the exam table and told him that he'd wait for him in the waiting room. JJ blinked sleepily and nodded as the nurse told him to take his shirt off.

Drake returned to his seat, trying hard to ignore the teenaged girl across from him and her knowing eyes. She grinned at him and he shifted uncomfortably. "S'cool, man. Your friend's cute. I can understand what you see in him."

Drake stared at her out of wide eyes, shocked. She just laughed, adjusting her cast across the seat beside her. "S'not such a big thing these days, guy. Hell, in some circles, it's the 'in' thing. Here." She tossed her book at him and Drake snatched it out of the air with reflexes even stunned bewilderment couldn't slow. "It's Manga. Japanese comics. A few years back, you couldn't find it over here to save your life, but it's really popular these days. You read it backward. Start at the last page." Drake obeyed, flipping to the title page. Imagine his surprise when he saw a pair of males sharing a tender embrace. The girl grinned at his shocked face. "It's called Yaoi. Stands for some Japanese acronym that I can never remember, but basically means male and male relationships. Real popular stuff."

Drake closed the book and extended it back towards her. "Thanks for the info, but it's not like that. JJ's my friend."

She grinned at him and waved the book away. "Whatever you say. You can read it while you're waiting for him." She dug in the backpack at her side and pulled out another book. "I got plenty. You can read that one." She laughed and negligently waved a hand at the racks of dog-eared, worn magazines and hospital informational flyers. "Unless you prefer magazines that were out of date in the seventies, cause I got to tell you, that's about all that's in those racks." Without another word, she immersed herself in the new book.

Drake stared at her and then shifted his gaze to the book in his hand. He knew she was right about the magazine selection. Curious, and unwilling to admit it, he turned the book over and read the blurb on the back. Finally, for lack of anything better to do, he opened the book and studied the diagram on how to read the book. It was like the comics he had read as a kid, only backwards.

At last, unable to put it off any longer, he started to read. It took some getting used to the format, but it didn't take very long to adjust. He read quietly, glancing at his watch every now and again until the story absorbed his attention entirely. The story was actually pretty good, about a businessman taking in a stranded student after he was injured. There was nothing shocking and revolting. The only thing that bothered him was an attempted rape scene. He was still reading when a nurse called his name.

"Mr. Parker? We'll be releasing Mr. Adams shortly, after he finishes with the doctor. Are you driving him home?"

Drake handed the forgotten book back to the teen and nodded. "Yeah. How is he?"

"A little loopy right now." The pretty blonde nurse grinned at him. "We gave him something a little stronger than what he was used to. He'll be fine when it wears off."

Drake chuckled. "He's normally a little loopy, so I don't know about that. How's the shoulder?"

The nurse laughed softly. "You'll have to ask the doctor. He's in with Mr. Adams right now. Would you like to go back?"

"Can I?"

She nodded. "Like I said, he's a little out of it, so you may need to help him."

Drake grinned at her in relief. He waved to the teen as the nurse pointed him to the double doors. "Exam room Five, Mr. Parker."

Drake found the room without difficulty. The door was open, though the curtain was pulled. He could hear JJ's voice inside, sounding a little higher-pitched than normal. "JJ?"

"Drakey-sempai!" JJ exclaimed from behind the curtain, giggling fitfully.

A gray-haired doctor pulled the curtain back enough to peer at him. "You Mr. Parker?"

"That's me. How is he?"

The doctor shook his head. "I'm making a note in his file. Nothing stronger than ibuprofen for this boy from now on. Do you know if he has any allergies to painkillers?"

Drake glanced at JJ, who was grinning as he unsuccessfully tried to pull off his hospital gown. Drake went over and helped him. "None that I know of. This is no weirder than he gets after a few beers."

The doctor watched Drake patiently assist the grinning JJ out of the open-back gown. "You have my pity."

Drake chuckled as he deftly helped JJ into his shirt. "Hold still, JJ. Yeah, well, you should have seen him the one time Ted bought him a shot of tequila. He doesn't handle a lot of alcohol well. I think it might be the same principle."

The older man chuckled as JJ glomped onto Drake's arm, clinging to him and grinning like a fool. "Drakey-sempai, you're such a nice guy. Dee-sempai should be more like you, but he's a meanie. Dee…?" JJ's bottom lip quivered and tears clouded his blue eyes.

Drake patted his head with a resigned sigh. "He's not here, JJ. He's at work."

"Oh. Are we going to work?" JJ watched him earnestly.

"You're off today. You're going home."

"Oh. Are you off? We could go out!" JJ exclaimed brightly.

Drake sighed and patted JJ's head again. "We'll see." He turned his attention to the still-chuckling doctor. "Well, at least this time he didn't try to strip in public. A small improvement, but an improvement anyway. How is he?"

"Other than the weird reaction, he's okay. His shoulderblade has a tiny stress fracture at the point of impact, which probably accounts for a very great deal of the pain he's been feeling. There's no point in immobilizing it unless it gets worse. He's going to hurt for a while, but that's why I gave him a prescription for Loritab. I'm wondering if that was such a good idea now."

Drake laughed. "He'll be okay. Let him get some solid sleep and some food in him and he'll be back to normal. Or as normal as this guy gets anyway." Drake affectionately ruffled JJ's hair with the hand JJ hadn't immobilized.

"Your call. The rest of the damage was mostly bruising and strain. He'll be fine."

"Good."

The doctor shook his head and handed Drake three slips of paper. "I've prescribed him some Loritab for the pain and Peroxicam, that's a muscle relaxant, for the strained muscles. The puncture wound looks clean, but to be on the safe side, I've given him an antibiotic to stave off any infection." He ran a hand through his grizzled hair. "Make sure he takes all of them, Mr. Parker. He needs to keep that shoulder as still as possible for the next couple of days at least." He pulled a pad out of the pocket of his white lab-coat and wrote on it. "I'm recommending he takes today and tomorrow off, and light duty for the next two weeks. For him, that means desk duty."

Drake sighed. "Wonderful. You've just condemned me to two weeks of non-stop chatter and 'why I hate desk duty' speeches. Do you have anything for a migraine?"

JJ looked up from his in-depth examination of the back of Drake's hand and frowned. "That's not nice, sempai."

"But honest."

JJ's ire couldn't last long against the drugs in his system and he went back to smiling vaguely at Drake's hand. "Look!" He said giddily, twining his fingers with Drake's. "Your hand is way bigger than mine. My fingers are longer." He waved them to prove his point. "But yours are bigger. I like men with big, strong hands."

Drake rolled his eyes and glanced at the grinning doctor. "Please ignore anything he says. He's not known for being able to keep his mouth shut when he's drunk. Hell, sometimes when he's not drunk."

The doctor just laughed. "I don't mind. This has been the most entertaining part of my day."

When Drake pushed a grinning JJ out of the ER, he glanced down at JJ. The younger man was leaning back between the handlebars of the wheelchair and smiling at him. "You are a certifiable nutcase. You know that, right? Hey, do you want to go see Ryo while we're here?" Drake asked.

That got through the mental haze of drugs and weariness. JJ frowned. "Can we?"

Drake nodded. "I'm sure we can go visit for a few minutes. But you stay in the wheelchair and if he's asleep, we don't wake him. Got it?"

JJ nodded solemnly and was silent the entire elevator ride to the seventeenth floor. Drake pushed him through to door to Ryo's room. The curtains were drawn over the window and the room lights were dimmed. Ryo slept peacefully, his color a lot better than the last time they had seen him. Drake pushed JJ up to the bedside and watched as JJ tentatively reached out to touch Ryo's pale hand. "I'm sorry, Ryo-sempai." He glanced up at Drake and his eyes were clearer. "Can I have a minute alone, please, Drake-sempai?"

Drake nodded and left the room, pulling the door shut behind him.

JJ frowned through the haze of drugs at the still figure on the bed. "I'm sorry, Ryo-sempai." He repeated. "I never really wanted anything to happen to you. You've always been nice to me, even when my pouncing on Dee made you jealous. I actually like you." He sighed. "I know Dee's yours. He has been since the first day I transferred here. When he gives someone his heart, he doesn't do it halfway. That's one of the things I always loved about him. I'm jealous, you know. I wish I could hate you for stealing him, but I don't. I can't."

He rested his chin in one hand, still touching the back of Ryo's hand with the other. "I do love him, you know. He was nice to me at first. See, I knew I was gay back in high school. When I told my parents, they didn't want to believe it. Mom's holding out hopes for grandkids and Dad-well, Dad still wants to think it's just a phase. When I went to the academy, some of the others there didn't like me. Because I was gay, or small and feminine-looking, or from LA, I guess. I don't even think some of them needed a reason. But Dee was nice to me and got some of the worst ones to leave me alone. Maybe just because he's bi, and recognized it in me, or maybe just because he doesn't like seeing anybody being picked on. Who knows?" He chuckled sadly. "It doesn't matter, anyway. I loved him for it. But he never loved me the way he loves you and I have to face that."

JJ sighed. "I guess I have to give him up now. It still hurts like anything, you son of a bitch."


	9. Chapter 8: Helping Out

Chapter Eight-Helping Out

A/N- many thanks to FinniganToldMeTo. for faithfully reviewing each chapter.

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Drake could hear the soft murmur of JJ's voice on the other side of the door. He glanced down at his watch and started. How had it gotten that late? He dug out his cell phone and winced as he remembered the hospital injunction against using cell phones around some of the more delicate equipment. JJ and Dee (And he, himself, he thought guiltily) might have forgotten in the heat of the moment, but with a nurse glaring at him from the nurse's station, he wasn't likely to this time. He only hoped Ted would forgive him.

After a few long, uncomfortable minutes of being stared at by the nurse, Drake decided enough was enough. He opened the door and stuck his head in. "JJ, you ready to go now?"

There was no response from the dimly-lit room.

"JJ?"

Drake caught the flutter of movement from the bed and turned on the overhead. Ryo blinked owlishly at him and waved weakly at the wheelchair. "Fell asleep." The wounded detective mouthed with a wry half-smile.

Drake glanced down at his partner and had to smile. JJ's tousled head rested on the edge of Ryo's hospital bed and his fingertips still rested lightly on the back of Ryo's hand. "You goofball." Drake muttered softly.

Drake met Ryo's amused gaze with a shrug, saying without words, 'what can you do?" "How are you feeling, Ryo?"

Ryo shrugged painfully. "I hurt. Feels like a truck parked on my chest." He managed in a strained whisper. "Why the chair?"

"Chair?" Ryo slipped his hand from beneath JJ's to point at the wheelchair JJ sat in. "Oh. After you got hurt, JJ took a bad fall. Cracked his shoulder on the corner of his desk." Drake shrugged, keeping it short. "We just came up from the ER to see how you were doing."

Ryo nodded understanding and winced.

Drake saw the wince and interpreted it correctly. "You should be resting. Let me call the nurse and I'll take goofy here back home to sleep off the painkillers."

Ryo nodded again and mouthed, "Thank you."

Drake didn't bother with the call button, taking a bit of perverse delight in walking to the nurse's station and informing the same nurse who had glared at him that the patient in seventeen-thirty was awake and in need of her. He followed her back to the room, noting absently that she had a nice ass but a lousy attitude. He bade goodbye to the groggy Ryo, promising to come and see him again and leaned JJ back in the wheelchair.

Leaving Ryo to the nurse's tender mercies, he wheeled his sleeping partner down the hall to the elevator. JJ roused briefly as they got on the elevator, but settled his head against the handlebar and Drake's hand and dropped right back off. Drake chuckled softly as he mashed the button for the lobby. JJ always amazed him by his ability to sleep anywhere and in any position. When they reached the ground floor, Drake shook JJ's shoulder gently.

"Hey. JJ? JJ, can you stay awake long enough for me to go get the car?"

JJ roused blearily and nodded. "M'okay. Go home now?"

Drake smiled at him. "I need to stop at the pharmacy and get your prescriptions, but then home. Okay?"

"Kay." JJ yawned and struggled to hold his head up.

Drake chuckled and nodded at the nurse behind the desk. She tapped her glasses and tipped her head toward JJ with a grin, indicating she'd keep an eye on him. Drake smiled his thanks and hurried out to get his car. He pulled out his cell phone and called Ted, prepared for a verbal attack.

"Bout damned time you called." Ted's voice was too calm and Drake winced.

"Sorry. It took a while to see the doc and then I took him up to see Ryo. My fault. I forgot that I wasn't supposed to use a cell phone in the hospital. Sorry, man."

Ted yawned. "Where you at?"

Drake shifted his phone to the other ear so he could unlock his door. "At my car in the parking lot. I have to get JJ's meds and take him home yet. I'll be there soon as I can."

"Forget it." That wasn't Ted's voice and Drake nearly dropped his phone in surprise.

"Chief Smith?"

"Yes, Parker. The man who is allegedly supposed to be your direct supervisor. Did it occur to you to call and let me know you were taking your partner to the ER?"

"Nossir. Sorry, Chief."

"Yes, you are, but lets put those shortcomings aside for the moment. I can afford to let you baby-sit him for today, but you damned well better be in here bright and early tomorrow. You get me?"

"Yeah. I understand. Listen, the doc said JJ's gonna be off today and tomorrow and then he needs to be on light duty for at least two weeks." Drake winced as he started the car, waiting for the inevitable explosion.

Smith sighed and grumbled but only reminded him to bring in the paperwork when he came in tomorrow. Cutting Drake's reply short, he handed the phone back to Ted.

"Ted, who was that and what the hell did he do with the badger?" Drake pulled the car up to the doors and got out.

"Damned if I know." Ted sounded awed. "It was like he cared."

Then at the same time, as if they'd planned it, they both said, "Nah." Drake laughed.

Ted groused at him for a few more seconds and then informed him that he was going home and he was turning his cell phone off and the rest of the world could kiss his ass until his shift started tomorrow.

Drake chuckled softly. "Thanks for covering for me this morning, even if the badger did find out. I'll see you tomorrow."

Ted yawned loudly. "Yeah, yeah. I'll tell you something, man. You need to get off babysitting duty once in a while. Find a nice piece of ass and get yourself laid. You're starting to get on my nerves."

Bemused, Drake asked, "How?"

"Cause I haven't seen you this wrapped up in anything or anyone since you got dumped by that cute little trick, Linda." Ted told him, a scowl audible in his voice. "I swear, man, way you look after spazzo boy, it's like he's your girlfriend."

Drake snorted surprised laughter. "And you need sleep. You're imagining things."

Ted barked a harsh laugh. "Hah! Tell that to the girl you ditched to play nursemaid that day Dee laid into JJ. Pull the other leg, Drake." He hung up, leaving Drake to stare uncertainly at the phone.

Drake shook his head to clear it of the uncomfortable thoughts and went in. The nurse had moved JJ over by the desk and he was leaning on the polished wood, snoozing. She grinned at Drake and put a finger against her lips. "He tried," She confided quietly. "He really tried to stay awake, but the second time he nearly fell out of the chair, I moved him over here and he was gone to dreamland."

Drake chuckled with her. "I should have figured as much." He told her. "He said he didn't get much sleep with his shoulder hurting him and then the doctor gave him some painkillers. Once he was through acting like he was high, he passed out."

She laughed. "Ooh, he must be fun at parties."

"Wouldn't know." Drake shrugged as he deftly leaned JJ back in the wheelchair, all without waking him. "I haven't seen him at one."

He nodded goodbye to her and wheeled his somnolent partner out to his car. "JJ? C'mon, bud. Time to wake up a little. I need you to help me. Time to get in the car."

JJ roused and sleepily cooperated with Drake's efforts to get him in the passenger seat. Drake buckled him in before taking the wheelchair back inside. He nearly bumped into the teenager from earlier as he was turning to go. He reached out to steady her on her crutches. "Sorry."

She grinned back. "S'Okay. How's your friend?"

Drake smiled. "He's passed out in the car from painkillers. He'll be okay."

"Cool. You want to finish the book? I'll give it to you."

Drake had forgotten about the book entirely. "Oh. That's okay. Thanks for letting me borrow it for a while."

"No big. You take good care of your friend, Kay?" Laughing, she hopped away.

Drake shook his head and returned to the car, where JJ was still out of it. Sighing, he climbed behind the wheel and tousled his partner's hair. "Goofball. Let's go."

Drake stopped at a pharmacy for JJ's prescriptions, snitching his insurance card from the sleeping man's breast pocket. He drove back to JJ's apartment through the beginnings of the lunch hour rush, trying very hard not to think. He didn't like the thoughts that Ted and that teenager had started. JJ was not his girlfriend! Damn them both!

Drake sighed as he pulled into a parking space not for from JJ's building. Maybe Ted was right. Maybe he really needed to get laid. His sex life had been kind of nonexistent since he and Brandy had called it quits.

Drake reached over and shook JJ's good shoulder gently, hoping that he wasn't hurting the bad one. "JJ. C'mon, time to wake up now. We're at your place."

JJ stirred and blinked sleepily at him. "Hmm?"

"Time to get up. We're here." Drake unbuckled the seatbelt and let it slide across JJ's chest. JJ blinked and yawned, moving in slow-motion.

Drake shook his head and got out of the car, coming around to help the dazed JJ out of the car. JJ moved slowly and unsteadily and Drake had to support him. Whatever the doctor had given him was kicking his butt.

"Drake-sempai?"

"Yeah?"

"How come you're being so nice to me?" JJ asked earnestly, his face a little too close for Drake's comfort.

Drake shook off the thought and leaned away a little, but that upset JJ's already precarious balance and Drake had close that small distance again to steady him. "You're my friend and my partner. Why wouldn't I be nice to you?"

"Hmm." JJ leaned against him. Drake helped him up the stairs and into the elevator that the rent-a-cop (not the same old man as before, he noted absently) held open for them. Drake pushed the button for JJ's floor and leaned against the mirrored wall with a sigh. JJ leaned against him.

Drake stiffened when JJ buried his nose in Drake's cotton shirt with a contented sigh. "Mmm-you smell nice, Drake-sempai…"

Drake pushed JJ's head away. "It's called soap, idiot. Man, I don't know what he gave you, but you're even more of a space cadet than normal." He knew he was being harsher than he had to be, but this was making him seriously uncomfortable.

"M'not a space cadet. I'm a cop-op." JJ made an odd sound that Drake recognized as laughter. "An' you're my partner. Big tough teddy bear of a partner."

Drake groaned. "I am not a teddy bear!"

JJ giggled. For god's sake, Drake thought in disbelief, he giggled like a teenage girl. What kind of man giggled like that? JJ leaned closer. "You're a cuddly-wuddly teddy bear, Drakey-sempai! A big ol' teddy bear."

Drake had never been so glad of the elevator doors opening. It took him a few seconds to realize this was not JJ's floor and the older woman with the Pekinese was staring at them. Drake closed his eyes and wished for the elevator shaft to open up under him and drop him back to the first floor. He had never been so mortified in all his life.

"Oh, my, Jemmy, are you all right?"

That wasn't the reaction he had been expecting. Drake opened his eyes to find the woman leaning in to study JJ's face. The dog in her arms squirmed, trying to lick JJ and yapping with excitement.

"Jemmy, dear? Are you okay?"

JJ looked up and a wide smile wreathed his features. "Hiya, Auntie. Hey, Spooks."

"Hello, dear. Are you all right? You look awful."

JJ nodded drunkenly. "I fell down," He explained with all the solemn seriousness of a four-year-old. "I had t'go an' see the doctor."

The woman looked up at Drake, all business. "Hello. I'm Cecile Adams-Mere. You are?"

"Drake Parker, ma'am." Drake said politely. "I'm JJ's-"

"Big cuddly teddy bear of a partner." JJ added with another giggle, causing Drake to groan and go red.

"Oh, dear. They gave him something for the pain on an empty stomach, didn't they?" The woman caught JJ's chin and forced him to meet her eyes. JJ grinned at her and rested his head on Drake's shoulder when she released him.

Drake shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. I know that JJ said he didn't get much sleep last night cause his shoulder was hurting, but I don't know if he had anything to eat."

She stepped all the way in the elevator, allowing the doors to close behind her. "Probably not. If I know my nephew, he doesn't eat when he's in pain. We need to get him into bed, Mr. Parker."

Drake shifted to support more of JJ's weight as the smaller man sagged against him. "I was trying to."

When the elevator stopped, the woman slung her arm around JJ's waist and helped support him, much to Drake's astonishment. The dog bounded around their feet as they manhandled JJ to the door of his apartment. Drake had the keys (snagged from JJ at the same time as he had gotten his insurance card) and unlocked the door.

Cecile helped him haul JJ into the bedroom and then shooed him to the kitchen to find something for JJ to eat and drink so he could take some of his medication. When Drake returned with some hastily heated soup and a glass of ice water, she had gotten JJ into pajamas and tucked into bed. He was propped up against a backrest of pillows and blinked dazedly at Drake.

Cecile took the bowl from him and nodded approvingly before plunking the bowl in JJ's hands. "Now, eat, silly, or I'll tell your mother you can't manage without her."

JJ flushed at the threat and began to eat. Cecile took the bag of medication from Drake and read the labels. She shook two of the pills into her hand and made JJ take them. Halfway through the soup, JJ's head nodded and Cecile rescued the bowl before it spilled, handing it off to Drake, who was feeling remarkably out-of-place. She neatly resettled JJ and shooed Drake out of the bedroom as JJ's breathing deepened into soft snores.

"Would you like some coffee, Mr. Parker?"

Drake debated on whether to run for his life now or after he had put some caffeine in his sorely neglected system. Caffeine won. "Thank you."

Cecile was very at home in JJ's neat kitchen, deftly setting the coffeemaker to brew and digging out a pair of mugs and sugar. Drake hunted the refrigerator for the cream he had seen there earlier. JJ was the only one he knew who used real cream. He pulled it out and was rewarded with a smile from JJ's aunt. She poured them both a cup of coffee before sitting at the little table. Drake accepted the coffee in its 'I (heart) LA' mug and sat across from her, wondering all the while why he was doing this.

"So you're Jemmy's partner, Mr. Parker?" Cecile asked, bending to scratch the ears of the little dog.

Looking up from pouring cream into his coffee, Drake nodded. "Yeah. We've worked together at the 27th for six years and change now. And it's Drake, please. My dad's Mr. Parker."

Her blue eyes twinkled with laughter as she took a sip from her own mug. "Drake then. You have a remarkable amount of patience to put up with my nephew for that long. I love him dearly, but sometimes I can't spend an hour in his presence without wanting to nail his feet to the floor and force-feed him some Prozac."

Drake laughed aloud. "I can understand that. He drives me and half the other guys to distraction sometimes."

"Only sometimes?"

"Anytime he's awake." Drake chuckled lightly.

That got a hearty laugh out of the older woman. "I like your attitude, Mr. Par-I'm sorry, Drake. Jemmy has been like this since he was a child. He's a wonderful boy (man now, I suppose, but I'll never be able to think of him as anything other than the child he was) but I'll never understand how two such 'normal' people as my younger brother and his wife managed to produce a child like him." She sipped her coffee. "Poor Jemmy. I think his parents confuse him sometimes as much as he does them. He loves them though."

Drake shrugged, unsure what to say. He had learned more about JJ's past in the past twenty minutes than he had in the last six years. Cecile laughed at his expression. "Don't mind me, dearheart, I tend to ramble about my family. I'm the oldest of five children and something of a busybody. I involve myself whether they want me or not."

She grinned in a way that took years off her face. Her resemblance to JJ hit Drake like a ton of bricks. Smiling like that, she was like an older, feminine version of his partner. Drake shuddered, jolted by that thought. _Oh Christ, I so need to get laid._ He couldn't believe what he had just thought. The image of JJ as a woman was burned into his brain and wouldn't let go.

Cecile chuckled and drew his attention back to her. "My brother is rather set in his ways and the woman he married is no less so, though she does remind me of Jemmy a bit. They both have the attention span of a fly, unless it's something that really holds their interest." She finished her coffee and rose to pour herself another cup. She topped off Drake's cup without his asking and settled back down in her seat. "I swear, one short phone conversation with her and I'm ready to climb the walls. She says she has a one-track mind, but if you ask me, her train of thought keeps derailing. Jemmy takes after her in that respect, I suppose, if no other."

Drake shrugged noncommittally. He was trying to think of a way to politely extricate himself from this conversation when the tone of Cecile's voice changed. "I've heard a lot about you, too, you know. Every conversation I had with Jemmy, used to be _Dee _this, _Dee-sempai_ that. Now he talks about you a lot. '_Drake-sempai got mad at Dee-sempai today. He yelled at him loud enough to be heard in our office'_ or '_Drake-sempai bought me lunch today. It was so funny, him trying not to wince at the jalapenos I had on my sandwich.'_ I think he trusts you." Cecile regarded him evenly. "That's saying something. Jemmy doesn't trust many people anymore. He was hurt badly by someone he trusted once and then again when that Max Fork fellow suckered him and hurt you trying to steal that cocaine. I remember how upset that made him. For a while there, he just cut himself off. Tried not to care. You actually helped there. He said you wouldn't let him alone. Eventually, he had to stop sulking just to get you to stop bothering him."

Drake chuckled reluctantly. "He was acting like he was going to jump off a bridge. I made sure he didn't get the opportunity."

Cecile smiled at him. "And that went a long way toward helping him."

Drake shrugged, discomfited.

Cecile smiled at him and bent to pick up her dog. "I should go before poor Spooks can't hold it anymore. Are you going to keep an eye on Jemmy?"

Fixed in her blue gaze, Drake found himself nodding. There was something about Cecile that made it impossible to say no. Come to think of it, it was the same with JJ.

Satisfied, Cecile grinned again, looking disconcertingly like JJ, and turned to leave.

Drake was still staring blankly at the kitchen doorway when the sound of JJ's front door closing snapped him out of it. Drake thumped his forehead with the palm of one hand like it might knock some of the cobwebs loose. That woman was downright _scary_.

Since he had agreed to watch JJ, Drake sighed and rinsed out the two mugs and the coffeepot. He had a feeling he didn't need any more coffee today. He puttered around the kitchen, putting things away and looking helplessly for a reason to be here. Finally, he decided that he should see if he could find something to fix for dinner. He might as well make himself useful.

Drake rooted around in JJ's (_way_-too-neat) cabinets and freezer before deciding on a chicken pasta he and his little sister had created one night after a particularly disastrous pair of dates (one his, that he did not care to remember, and one hers, which she had vowed to forget if it killed her) had sent them seeking solace in a pitcher of Sangria and late-night cable movies. After two glasses apiece, they had decided it was time for something to eat. After much giggling and lunacy, they had managed to make something not only edible, but good.

"Contrary to popular belief," Sally had teased. "Single cops can cook!"

That had earned her an ice cube in her bra. Drake chuckled at the memory as he set the chicken out to thaw and made the marinade. He covered the bowl and stuck it in the fridge until the chicken thawed. He sighed and wandered into the living room and turned on the TV, keeping the volume low, so he wouldn't wake JJ. After twenty minutes of nothing but talk shows and soaps he turned the TV back off with a disgusted grunt. He had forgotten how much he hated daytime TV.

Not for the first time, he wondered why the hell he was still here. JJ was a big boy and could take care of himself. _For the most part_, his traitorous mind whispered softly. Drake grunted and shook his head. He was lying to himself, insisting to himself that it was because of Cecile that he was still here, looking after JJ.

He was here because he wanted to be. Drake slumped. It was unavoidable. He had to admit it. He liked looking after JJ. JJ made him laugh, and kept him from taking himself too seriously. And it was weird, but he cared that JJ came to him first and depended on him like he did. More and more often, Drake was the one who managed to cheer JJ whenever Dee went off on him.

Drake shook his head again, trying hard to get his mind to shut the hell up. For god's sake, it was making him sound like he was in-

"Drake-sempai?"

Drake jumped a foot and whirled, his heart pounding in his throat. JJ stood in the doorway, blue shadows under his eyes. He leaned heavily on the doorframe, and stared at Drake like he wasn't sure whether or not he was seeing things. "JJ! You should be in bed."

"What are you doing here?"

"Keeping an eye on you. Your aunt Cecile's orders."

A wan smile flitted across JJ's features. "She worries too much."

Drake rose. "She cares. And to tell the truth, you really should be lying down. Look at you. You can barely stand up straight."

JJ chuckled softly, holding onto the doorframe. "You could be right. But I can't sleep. My mind keeps going in little circles, no matter how much I want to fall asleep."

Drake chuckled with him. "I can understand that. C'mon. Lets get you back into bed and then I'll bore you until you can't stay awake."

That got a real laugh out of JJ, and there was a sparkle of humor in his blue eyes. "You're not that boring, Drake-sempai."

Drake laughed, taking JJ by the shoulders and turning him back toward the bedroom. "Watch me. I can make Ben Stein seem like the liveliest person on the planet."

JJ laughed and let Drake steer him back down the hall, supporting some of his weight without a word of complaint.

Drake tucked JJ back into bed and sat casually on the edge of the bed, one foot tucked under him. JJ watched him with eyes that were slowly clearing of the drug haze. Drake chuckled softly. "Want me to read you the phone book? A guaranteed cure for insomnia."

JJ laughed and settled himself more comfortably. He discovered he loved the warm, affectionate sound of Drake's voice. He thought the phone book didn't sound like such a bad idea, if it meant he got to listen to Drake talk. "Nah. Just talk to me. About anything. I don't care what."

Drake laughed. "You got it."


	10. Chapter 9: Penguin Calls

Chapter Nine-Penguin Calls

Many thanks to eveyone who reviewed...

* * *

"_NO!"_

Dee woke abruptly, flailing desperately for Ryo. His heart hammered a panicked tattoo in his chest when he encountered only the empty side of the bed. "Ryo!"

The bedroom door slammed open and Bikky stood there, panting and wild-eyed. They stared at each other for a moment before Dee calmed enough to remember where he was. He was at Ryo's apartment, sent there by one of the nurses. Ryo was in the hospital, wounded but recovering.

He remembered now. He had sprawled on the bed while Bikky was in the shower, worn out physically and emotionally. He must have fallen asleep. "Shit."

"Dee?" He could hear the genuine concern in Bikky's voice.

Dee glanced up at Bikky's worried face. What the hell was he thinking? God, he thought he had it hard. Bikky had lost one set of parents already. What would he do if he lost the man who had raised him? Dee didn't like to think of it.

"Sorry, kid. I fell asleep and had a nightmare. Didn't mean to scare you."

He watched the tension flow out of Bikky's shoulders. "Oh." Life came back into his eyes and he glared at Dee in frustrated anger. "You scared the crap out of me, you bastard."

"I said I was sorry." Dee glared back; even knowing neither of them was really angry. It was just their way of easing tensions. "Get over it, Monkey brat."

Bikky scowled at him through damp locks of blonde hair. "Why the hell are you here anyway? This is Ryo's apartment. Go home, you perv!"

"We came to get your clothes, ape-boy. We're staying at my place until Ryo's out of the hospital. My place is closer."

"Like I want to stay at your perv pad. God only knows some of the weird shit you've got there. You are one sick bastard."

"Shut the hell up and pack your shit before I pack it for you. You won't like where I might decide to put it."

"Psycho."

"Monkey brat."

Bikky reverted to his childhood and stuck out his tongue at Dee before vanishing back into his bedroom to pack.

Dee sighed and put his head down in his hands. He had never realized just how important Ryo was to him until he came so close to losing him forever. The nightmares proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt. Twice now, he had woken in a cold sweat, shaking at the terror of losing Ryo. God, he never wanted that. Never.

He listened to Bikky packing and cursing softly. It was pretty clear Bikky felt the same way. The sudden chirp of his cell phone scared a year off his life. Shaking, he pulled it out of his pocket. "Laytner."

"Dee, are you alright?"

"Penguin?" Dee was more than a little surprised at the voice from the other end. Though Mother Maria Lane had his cell phone number she seldom called him for anything that wasn't important.

"One of your friends came down to give me the news about Ryo. How is he? Will he be all right? Are you okay? What happened?"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down." Dee was a little startled to think that someone had thought of informing Mother. "Who told you?"

"The young man who works with you. I don't recall his name. The one who got partnered with JJ."

"Drake?" Dee blinked in surprise.

"That's the one. He dropped in yesterday evening and told me Ryo had been shot. How is he?"

Shaking his head, Dee forced himself to focus on the conversation. "Uh, he's recovering. It was a closer thing than I liked, though. He took a bullet through the lung. It nearly killed him. If the paramedics had been one second later in getting there…" Dee shook his head grimly. "He's been awake and the doctor's say he should make a full recovery. But I've got to tell you, Mother, that scared the crap out of me."

"I don't wonder that it did. I knew from the first time you brought him here that you loved him. It was in every move you made. Every glance, every smile told me how much you cared about him."

"Mother." Dee was a little surprised to feel tears stinging his eyes.

"Don't you go crying on me." She warned sternly, but there was affection in her voice. "How is his son holding up? Didn't you tell me his real father was shot and killed when Ryo took him in?"

Dee stared at the phone and felt his stomach lurch. God, he had forgotten! How had Bikky managed to keep his cool as long as he had, Dee had no idea. The monkey brat was more than due for a breakdown of epic proportions. "To tell the truth, he's doing better than me. I don't know how he's managing. In his place, I'd have gone nuts."

Mother clucked her tongue softly. "You realize part of it is because he knows how close to the edge you were. He's probably in need of a good cry, but he won't break down in front of you."

"He's tougher than I gave him credit for."

"Smarter too." Mother said quietly. "He was keeping it together for both of your sake's. Tell you what, Dee, why don't you stop over here for a little while? Let me talk to him. He might feel more comfortable unburdening himself on me."

"You have enough to worry about."

"I worry about all of you. Those two have done wonders for you and I don't want to see that change. You're still my beloved son, Dee, and they're as much a part of your family as I am." Mother's voice took on a tone he knew well; one that would brook no argument. "Come over here for a while. You need it as much as he does."

Dee couldn't stop a small chuckle from escaping. "Maybe you're right."

"Maybe?"

Dee laughed aloud. It felt good. "You win, Penguin."

"Don't call me that." But there was a smile in Mother's voice.

Dee chuckled and promised to stop at the orphanage when they were done packing. With that promise, Mother hung up, safe in the knowledge that Dee would not break his word. She had taught him better than that.

"You done yet, brat?" He called into the other room.

Bikky appeared with a scowl and a duffel bag slung over one shoulder. "Yeah."

When they got down to the car, Dee opened the trunk so Bikky could pitch in his duffel bag. He considered going straight home but knew Mother would have his hide if he did. Bikky only realized they weren't going to Dee's place when Dee had nearly reached the new building that now housed the orphanage. "Hey, where're you going?"

"I need to see the Penguin for a few minutes."

"You know she hates when you call her that, right?"

"Yep." Dee pulled the car into a vacant space in front of the orphanage. "C'mon, brat."

Dee smiled at the building as he and Bikky climbed the stairs. With the city breathing down their neck and half of the NYPD barking at their heels, S Corp had provided a pretty damned nice new building for the orphanage. It was adjacent to a small church, the priest of which was delighted to have the orphanage nearby. He and Mother had gotten along famously from the start. Dee smirked. Recently, the deed for the building had been given to the city on the injunction that the orphanage remained open.

He'd heard as much from Drake, who was working several cases that seemed to have S Corp as a major player. Drake had chuckled and leaned back with a grin. "Funny, isn't it?" He'd said. "Amazing the things that happen when a little bit of dirt threatens to creep out from under the rug they swept it under. Last I heard, some of the higher-up's in S Corp were finding out that it was getting a little hot under the microscope. They're being very good little boys and girls lately."

Dee chuckled at the memory as he ushered Bikky though the door.

"Dee! Bikky!" A swarm of children descended on them from all sides. Several of the boys attached themselves to Bikky, demanding to know when he was going to play basketball with them again. Corrine, the ten-year-old tomboy, attached herself to the teenager's neck and began to chatter at high speed about basketball. Dee shook his head as he scooped up Jamie and gave the frail boy a bear hug. He hoped Bikky understood what she was saying with her breathless explanation, because he wasn't getting more than one word in ten.

"That's enough, you scamps. Father Paul is expecting the lot of you to help him clean out the old bell tower. Remember, he said you could keep any treasures you found up there. Sister Rose promised fresh-baked cookies for the helpers." Mother Maria Lane descended the staircase briskly, despite the cane she had been forced to carry since she was hurt in the bombing of the old building.

The combination of 'treasures' and 'cookies' did the trick and the children departed en masse, promising to return and show Bikky and Dee their treasures. Dee grinned and waved after them as Mother swept in to enclose both of them in one of her famous hugs. Dee surrendered to her warm embrace, watching Bikky out of the corner of his eye. The teenager was struggling to hold back tears.

_Chalk another one up for the Penguin_. Dee pulled back from the hug and smiled down at her. "Hey, Penguin."

"Hello yourself, my wayward son. Please do refrain from calling me that in front of the children. I won't be held responsible for what will happen if you don't." Her voice was sugarcoated steel and Dee ducked an imaginary blow.

"Yes, Mother." He said meekly.

"Why don't you make yourself useful and make some coffee while I catch up with Bikky, here?"

Dee grumbled, but only for show. He headed for the kitchen as Mother slipped an arm around Bikky and led him toward her study.

He took his time making the coffee. He filled a pair of mugs and carried them down the hall. Something warned him not to go barging in so he set the mugs on a side table and peered into the study. Mother sat beside Bikky on the couch, holding the teenager close as he wept out his fear and pent-up sorrow. Dee caught her eye through the barely open door and nodded. He left the coffee and took himself off for a little while. He'd cry on Mother's shoulder later. Right now, Bikky needed her more.

* * *

A/N sorry for the very short chapter. More is coming soon, but we had to do a little set-up. This is going somewhere-we promise. _(Hey, Subu-chan, let me talk too!!! Every one pwease pwease review. We really __**do **__want to know what you think!!!!!!!!!!!!_)

Thank you for that lapse into baby-talk, Akita, even if you do have a point. Let us know what you think so far. That way I won't have to put up with the Yaoi-crazed fangirl without her meds.


	11. Chapter 10: Damn the Floodgates

_All disclaimers still apply. Do you honestly think We're making any money off of this?_

_A/N Many thanks to those gods of fan-ficcdom who reviewed. Akita's still dancing about the nice reviews. That's her bopping in the background to the strains of "I think I'm Turning Japanese." Yeesh. And she hates my taste in music??_

_//Akita stops dancing and bats eyelashes mournfully. // Reviews? Yes, please._

Chapter Ten-Damn the Floodgates

"Would you please sit back down?" Drake scowled at JJ as he tried to get plates out of the cabinet one-handed. Drake reached over the shorter man and rescued the teetering stack of plates.

JJ glared at him with ill temper. "I can look after myself, Drake." He retorted.

Drake sighed as he took the plates and set them on the kitchen table. "What's your problem now? You were okay earlier."

"I don't have a problem!" JJ snarled.

"You're growling and snapping like a rabid dog. That says problem to me." Drake carefully turned JJ to face him. "What's the matter?"

"I'm embarrassed, okay?!" JJ yelled, startling Drake. "I know how I act on pain meds. Not only did you have to see that, but Aunt Cecile was here too. God, she's probably laughing at me right now."

Drake sighed. "So you get a little loopy with pain meds. Big deal. You can't help it. And your aunt was worried about you, not laughing at you. She practically made me promise to keep an eye on you today. If that's not honest worry, I don't know what is."

JJ slumped. Drake's arguments were all good ones, but he was too upset to think straight. He knew it for the truth when he woke up this time. It had hit him just as hard as the realization that Dee was never going to be his. He was falling for Drake and he hated himself for it. It felt like he was betraying Dee. It made no sense, but at the moment, nothing made a damned bit of sense.

And to top it all off, he still loved Dee. "God, if I were any more fucked up-"

"You realize you said that out loud, right?" Drake chuckled.

JJ turned red. "Blame it on the drugs."

Drake laughed. "Tell you a secret. I'm the same way on Sudafed. Get me hopped up on enough antihistamines and I'll tell you every dirty little secret you ever wanted to know." He laughed. "One time in high school, I went to school with a head cold and took a dose. I don't quite remember what I said to my history teacher, but they sent me home for what my guidance counselor later called 'a little _too_ much honesty.' It must have been pretty bad, because I wound up in another history class for the rest of the year."

JJ laughed weakly. "I-I'll keep that in mind."

Drake smiled at him. "Why don't you go check on dinner while I set the table. We'll eat like civilized people."

JJ obeyed, heart aching. He wasn't sure what to do and Drake only made it harder by being such a nice guy. And somehow that made him angrier.

_"Ow!"_

Drake turned. "JJ? What is it?"

JJ muttered unintelligibly around a mouthful of knuckle.

"What?"

JJ pulled his knuckles out of his mouth long enough to scowl at Drake. "I burned myself, okay?" He stuck his hand under the faucet and turned the cold water on. "I brushed the back of my hand against the oven door."

Drake came over to the sink as JJ pulled his hand from under the tap and sucked on his seared knuckles. "Stop that," He chastised, pulling JJ's hand away from his mouth. "You're not three. You don't suck on burns like that."

"You do when it hurts," JJ muttered resentfully, trying to pry his wrist free from Drake's firm grip.

Drake frowned at him and stuck his hand back under the cold water. "You trying to kill yourself, JJ? First the fall and now you burn yourself."

JJ glared at him, sulking. "Leave me alone." He tried to tug his hand free again.

Drake refused to relinquish it, holding JJ's fingers under the flow of cold water. "Hold still."

JJ continued struggling. "Let go of me!"

Drake dipped his free hand under the flow of water and flicked it in JJ's face. That stopped him and Drake had to stifle a chuckle at the indignant look on his partner's face. "What's with you tonight, dammit? You're acting like a kid."

JJ scowled at him. How to tell Drake that he was the cause of it? Drake's tender care was making his abused heart ache. He hated that it was Drake caring so gently for him, and not Dee. But at the same time, he wanted to accept the warmth and tenderness, to curl up in Drake's arms like a lover might. Yeah, he was falling for him alright. There was just no denying it anymore.

JJ bit back stinging tears. He was so confused! He wanted Drake to need him with the same burning ache as he did, but he hating himself for craving it. He still loved Dee and Drake--Drake was straight. But he wanted him _sooo _much…

To his horror, a single tear escaped. He tried to brush it away before Drake saw, but that one had opened the floodgates. He just stood there in his kitchen, one hand held under the running water and completely unable to stop the tears.

Drake's scowl crumpled and he looked distressed. "Damn, JJ, don't cry! Please! C'mon, it's just a burn. Nothing to cry about!"

But there was nothing to stop the tears now. JJ hiccupped and tried to apologize, but the words came out as strangled sobs. "I-I-I'm sor-sorry-I d-don't kno-know w-why I'm c-crying! I-I…"

Drake sighed and drew JJ against him. JJ clung to his shirt, struggling to control the tears. But in the face of Drake's warm embrace, they continued unabated. JJ allowed himself to sag against his partner's solid strength. "I-I c-c-can't stop c-c-crying…" JJ hiccupped again.

He felt Drake's chest expand in a huge sigh and suddenly his feet were no longer on the floor. JJ managed a surprised yip as Drake picked him up and carried him to the couch. He gently set JJ down and settled next to him, offering a sheltering arm.

There were no second thoughts now about accepting it. JJ burrowed into Drake's embrace like it could hide him from the world. The tears poured out of him faster and he found himself babbling between sobs. "I-I know-" JJ wept heartbrokenly. "He's n-n-not mine. He n-n-never real-really was. B-b-but I w-wanted s-so much for h-him t-to be…!"

Drake murmured inane words of comfort softly and stroked his hair. But there was no soothing him now. "I-I l-loved him s-so mu-much. A-all I ever w-w-wanted was f-for him t-to love m-me b-back! But h-he l-loves R-Ryo s-so m-much it h-hurts to w-watch. And I know R-Ryo loves h-him too! I-I can see it i-in his f-face ev-every t-time h-he l-looks at D-Dee. I-I can't even h-hate him f-for it! I t-tried. I-I wanted t-to hate h-him s-so much but-but I j-just can't. I-it's n-not f-faaair!" The last word ended on a heartbroken wail.

JJ clung harder to Drake, shivering now from the emotional outburst. "I-it's not fair." He continued more quietly now. "It's not fair that I w-want to hate him b-but can't. I like h-him. He's n-never been a-anything b-but n-nice to m-me, b-but he s-stole D-Dee f-from me w-without even t-trying." JJ clung tighter, aware of the warmth of Drake's chest against his cheek. "I-I hated m-myself for w-wanting him t-to j-just go away. And n-n-now I-"

JJ had just enough presence of mind to keep from blurting out that he was finding himself more and more attracted to Drake. He wanted to. He wanted to unburden himself but was afraid to. To have Drake revile him… No! He couldn't bear that. He'd sooner die than have Drake hate him too.

At last he ran out of tears and just huddled there in Drake's loose embrace, trying hard to get himself back under control. "I-I'm sorry, Drake-sempai." He apologized quietly.

Drake sighed softly and continued smoothing JJ's mussed hair. "There's nothing to be sorry about, JJ. You needed to get that off of your chest. You've needed to get it off of your chest for a long time now. Trust me, I know. I've been your partner for how many years now? You bottle everything up inside and act the fool, but you can't con me. I've known you for too long now." Drake shook his head, but his hand continued its soothing motion over JJ's hair.

JJ listened to the steady thump of Drake's heartbeat, marveling at how Drake knew what was in his mind. It was uncanny how well they fit. Not just mentally either. JJ buried his head in the crook of Drake's neck, feeling how well Drake's arm fit around his shoulder and the hard planes of his chest under his fingers. Drake just held him, still stroking his hair comfortingly.

"You okay now?" Drake asked softly, his voice a pleasant rumble against JJ's cheek.

JJ nodded but made no effort to move. "J-just let me stay here for a little while." He whispered softly. For a second he wasn't sure whether Drake had heard him, but Drake's arm tightened around him. JJ sighed and settled more of his weight against his partner's solid strength. _He'd never hold me like this if he knew…_ JJ mused, heart aching just a little. But not that much. Not with Drake holding him tight like he would protect him from the worries of the world.

Drake, on the other hand, was trying _very _hard not to think. He had comforted JJ any number of times over the past few years, usually as a result of Dee going off on him. JJ was as emotional as a teenage girl sometimes, and when Dee got fed up and laid into him, he'd run to Drake, crying incoherently. And Drake had never minded. Some part of him liked being JJ's confidant and guardian. But this was bordering perilously close to territory he dared not think about.

After they had sat there for a few minutes, JJ seemed to sense how uncomfortable he was making Drake or something, because he sighed and straightened up, knuckling the last remnants of tears from his red-rimmed eyes. He glanced at Drake and as suddenly as the sun breaking from the clouds, a smile lit his face. "Sorry," JJ managed around a giggle. If it was just the tiniest bit hysterical, neither of them was going to mention it. "I got your shirt wet."

Drake looked down and chuckled, grateful for the breaking of the tension. From his shoulder to about the middle of his chest, his shirt was damp and sticky with tears. "It'll dry. You ready to eat now?"

JJ could have kissed him for not asking how he was feeling. In fact, he would have happily kissed him just to kiss him, but JJ vetoed that thought quickly. Drake wasn't ready for that.

And JJ…? JJ nodded and let Drake pull him to his feet. It still hurt, but his heart was healing. And Drake had a lot to do with it. Maybe, just maybe, someday they could be more than partners and good friends. He bestowed Drake with a wide, sunny smile that even the dull ache in his shoulder couldn't dampen.

Drake chuckled at the change in JJ's mood. He liked it when his spastic partner was happy. It sure beat all hell out of when he was crying morosely into Drake's shirt. "Let's eat, then."


	12. Chapter 11: Coffee and Comfort

Chapter Eleven-Coffee and Comfort

_Authors rambling-- oops, Authors Notes. Thanks again for the reviews. Glad everyone's enjoying this. Psychodahlia-Yeah, Drake should just admit it, shouldn't he? Thanks for the props on Penguin. She should show up more often in fics.  
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_Many thanks to NamarieGreenleaf and SaturnMax for reading and reviewing. Hope you continue to like the story.  
_

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Dee yawned so hard his jaw cracked and stole another glance at the sleeping teenager curled up on one corner of the well-worn couch in Mother's study. His eyes were red-rimmed but his sleep looked easy. Dee glanced up as a hand descended into his line of sight, bearing a steaming mug of coffee. "Thanks." He tilted his head toward where Bikky napped. "For the brat too. Sometimes I forget just how great you are with broken hearts." 

"You provided me enough practice, dearheart." Maria Lane settled into her chair with a sigh and a smile. "I had to patch up the hearts of half the neighborhood when you hit your teens. Wasn't a day went by that I didn't have some poor girl or boy sobbing about you not loving them into my shoulder. You were never among them though. The only one who ever broke your heart was Jessie. You cried for a week when he died."

Dee shifted uncomfortably and sipped his coffee. "Yeah… well…"

Mother smiled at him. "He was, for all intents and purposes, your father, dear. Even with all that happened, you never forgot that and it broke your heart to lose him."

Dee grimaced wryly. Mother tutted and met his eyes. "Like it would break your heart to lose Ryo." She said. "I've long known how much of you is wrapped up in him. And in Bikky too. Even if you won't admit how much you care about him out loud."

He had to look away. As always, Mother had him pegged. Sometimes he suspected she knew what he was thinking before he even thought it.

"Do you want to talk, my dear?"

Dee sipped his coffee, stalling. "It's still a little hard to talk about. I know he's getting better, but the thought of talking about him while he's lying there with a hole in his chest just scares me."

"I understand. Let's talk of inconsequentials then. How is the young man who used to follow you around like a devoted puppy? JJ, wasn't it?"

Dee chuckled. "I think he finally got the hint. He's stopped panting after me. He's not so annoying when he isn't following me through the halls like a dog in heat."

Mother cast him a scolding glance over the rim of her cup. "Be nice. That boy really loved you."

He sighed and shoved his hand through his dark hair. "I know. But I didn't love him. Hell, all I did was give him a hand back when we were in the academy together. I didn't know that was going to turn him into a rabid Dee-fan."

Mother smiled at him. "Dee, whether you intend to or not, you often have that effect on people. Much of who you are is in the effect you have on those around you." Her gaze rested on Bikky's slumbering form for a long moment. "To him, you are both someone he loves and the person who annoys him most. And you react to that. When he is annoyed, you do your best to be more annoying. When he fears and needs you, you are someone he can trust to protect him, even from his own fears. To JJ, you were someone who provided him with a measure of safety he needed-when he needed it most. I'm not surprised he fell for you."

Dee groaned and fisted his hand in his hair. "Maybe, but he was still damned annoying. He constantly got in my way and tried to get between me and Ryo."

Mother's look was scolding. "Have you told him this?"

"Every damned time he pounced on me."

"Or have you simply yelled at him, without giving him an explanation?"

"Of course I-" Dee's voice came to an abrupt halt. He winced at the knowing look that Mother gave him. "Okay, so I'm not real big on explanations. Still, he should have gotten the hint and backed off before now."

"You said it yourself once, 'Love is blind, but it's hard-headed as all hell too.' Remember?"

"Why do you have to be so smart?"

Mother laughed, her eyes twinkling merrily. "I had to be with a son like you. It was either that or be outsmarted by a scamp whose diapers I changed."

Dee chuckled softly. Like the mother she was, Mother's very presence soothed him like nothing else. The only thing that might compare would be having Ryo whole and healthy again. He prayed for that constantly.

Again, like she had read his very thoughts, Mother leaned forward and covered his hand with her own weathered ones. "Would you like to join me in a prayer for him?"

Dee felt his heart swell. "Yeah. That-that would be nice."

When Bikky woke up, he was alone in the study. Before he could even begin to panic he heard the murmur of voices from an open door on the other side of the room. He rose and padded silently to the door. Beyond it was a tiny, private chapel. Dee and Mother knelt at the altar, voices joined in a soft prayer. Flushing, Bikky made to retreat. He didn't want to disturb that!

"Bikky." Mother's voice stopped him in his tracks. "Come."

He froze in the doorway until Dee turned and raised a hand to beckon him in. Gratefully, he went join his family. He hadn't prayed since his father died all those years ago. Maybe it was time he started again.

Mother poured both of them another cup of coffee a few minutes later. "Here. You could both use the caffeine."

Bikky stared down into the dark brew. "Dee and Ryo won't let me have coffee."

Dee sipped at his own steaming mug. "Just this once. Don't think it'll happen again."

Bikky glared at him but kept silent.

Mother chuckled softly. "The children will be coming home soon. Will you stay for a bit?"

Dee started to shake his head but thought better of it when he saw the brief flash of longing in Bikky's eyes. "Just for a little while," he hedged. "The brat needs some sleep."

"Sleep is for the old." Bikky retorted sourly.

"Which must be why you need it."

Mother laughed. "Bikky, you remind me a very great deal of Dee when he was younger. He and Jessie used to bicker that way."

Bikky turned a look of horror on the nun. It was matched by a look of disbelief from the older man. Mother laughed again. "Yes, I daresay, exactly the same." Her eyes twinkled with mischief.

They were saved from having to reply by the sound of the Mongol Hordes returning from "Mission: Bell Tower." All of the children clamored for Dee and Bikky to look at their treasures and they wound up staying until bedtime. Dee and Bikky helped put all the children to bed before dragging their exhausted bodies back to the car.

Bikky fell asleep on the drive back to Dee's place and Dee reached over to smooth blond hair away from his eyes with a gentle touch. He could see how much Mother's comfort had meant to Bikky. There was a relaxation in him that hadn't been there before.

Dee chuckled softly. Mother had that way about her. Even though he had never gotten around to crying on her shoulder, maybe he didn't need to. Her gentle warmth had eased the pain and terror without him ever saying a word. She was still his mother, and still the only person who knew him better than anyone else.

Bikky roused enough to stumble sleepily up the stairs when they reached Dee's apartment building. He fell facedown on the spare bed without even bothering to kick off his shoes and was out like a light. Dee pulled his sneakers and socks off and draped a blanket over him. He'd never admit it out loud, but Mother was right. Bikky did remind him of himself. Maybe that was why they got along like matches and gasoline.

Dee sat at the kitchen table for a long time after Bikky had gone to bed, remembering Ryo's pale face and the small, pained smile his lover had given him before falling asleep again. It wasn't as comforting as Mother's embrace, but it did let him get a couple of hours of uninterrupted sleep when he did finally seek his bed.

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A/N_- Eeek-did it again. Sorry. Somehow, Dee's chapters always end up kind of short. But that's okay. The fic's mostly about JJ and his coming to terms with losing Dee and finding Drake. But we promise to do better. Dee gets a pretty big part in the next chapter. After all, there's a part of him (A teensy-tiny, itty-bitty little part-K.) that does actually care about JJ. And there was no call for that, Akita. We all know the big lug cares about him-see the graveyard scene for proof. (I demand a recount.) Recount? Have you forgotten your meds tonight? (Meds//Shoves bottle under the couch cushion// What meds? Did anyone see any medications here?)_

_Chapter twelve will be up soon. Stick around and review. (Review! REVIEW! __**REVIEW!!!**__) Oops, excuse me folks, I have to go sedate the review monster--AKA Akita. Okay, where did you hide the Ritalin? Watch it or Prince Valium will be coming for a visit, you spaz! (NOOOoooooooooo!)_


	13. Chapter 12: Much Needed Apology

Chapter Twelve-Much Needed Apology

_Disclaimers still stand, people. We don't own any of this. We just have a little too much fun with it. We like confusing the hell out of poor Drake._

_A/N-Wow, all the lovely reviews! Thanks to NamarieGreenleaf, Shadowcat17, Cheshirejin (thanks for the alert) and of course to FinniganToldMeTo. Glad you're enjoying. And Finnigan? Sorry, but this tale runs to about twenty or so chapters. (Don't hurt us!) Kita, hush. FinniganToldMeTo is not going to hurt you... Right? Right...? Uh //small voice// right...?  
_

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Drake woke suddenly, with a crick in his neck from hell. His left arm was totally numb and there was something warm cuddled against him. Blinking the sleep crust from his eyes, he absently wondered where he was. He glanced down at the silvery-hued head of hair nestled against his shoulder and felt his heart skip a beat. What the-? 

Slowly, memory returned and he managed to start breathing again. After JJ's breakdown, they had eaten dinner and decided to watch a movie. They must have both fallen asleep, but how in god's name had he ended up being used as a pillow by his partner? Drake studied JJ's face, relaxed now in sleep. The vestiges of last night's crying jag were still visible. His eyes were puffy and Drake would bet a hundred bucks that when he opened them, they'd be red-rimmed. His lashes were dried together in clumps from the tears and his nose was red. All in all, he looked like hell, but was curled up contentedly against Drake, a tiny smile curving his sleeping lips.

Drake jumped at the knock on the door, somehow managing not to disturb his sleeping partner. Carefully, he slipped out from under JJ, groaning softly as stiff muscles protested. Leaving JJ still sleeping, he padded silently to the door of JJ's apartment and opened it.

Dee leaned casually against the doorframe, dark hair tousled. He looked surprised to see Drake. But he grinned quickly. "Hey, Drake."

For a moment, Drake was taken aback. How _dare _he show up here now! Wasn't JJ's heartbroken crying bout last night enough?! Did Dee honestly have any idea how much he had hurt JJ? Suddenly, a feeling of unreasoning, unremitting hatred for his friend seized Drake. How could he-?

Stunned by the anger that filled him, Drake could only blink stupidly at Dee for a long moment. What the hell was wrong with him?

"Can I come in?" Dee asked when the silence stretched to uncomfortable proportions.

Drake shook himself. "Not my place to say. JJ's asleep." He resolutely shoved his anger and subsequent thoughts into a dark corner of his mind where he could look at them objectively later. _HA, _his subconscious snorted. Okay, so maybe not so objectively.

Dee frowned at him. "Look, I want to talk to him, okay? Anyway, what the hell are you doing here?"

Drake managed a half-hearted chuckle. "I took JJ to the ER yesterday, y'know, for that fall I told you about?" When Dee nodded, he went on. "They doped him up but good. He and pain meds don't mix well. He was pretty out of it and acting like he was high. His aunt ran into us when I was bringing him home. She insisted I stick around and take care of him. And let me tell you, that lady's scarier than Chief Smith, Commissioner Rose, and Diana Spacey all rolled into one. No way was I crossing her!"

"Drake-sempai?"

They both turned as one to locate the source of the voice. A very wobbly JJ supported himself against the wall. "I heard you talking. Who-?" JJ's voice trailed off and his skin went so pale that his red-rimmed eyes gave him the appearance of the walking dead. Or the _falling _dead, Drake amended mentally as JJ's knees gave out and he sank into a heap at the base of the wall.

"JJ!" Drake rushed to JJ. "Are you okay?"

JJ struggled back to his feet with Drake's aid. "I-I'm fine, Drake-sempai. It's nothing." Drake watched in concern as JJ pasted a patently false smile on his face. His face was still colorless and through his grip on JJ's arm, Drake could feel his partner's heart racing.

Dee took a step towards them and Drake reacted without thinking, fixing the dark-haired man with a glare and a snarl. Dee actually flinched back.

Drake struggled to get his temper back under control. When he could speak again without growling, he cleared his throat. "If we're going to talk, let's do it in the kitchen, so JJ can sit down-" He quelled the incipient protest with a sideways glance. "And take his medication. I'll make coffee."

Drake helped JJ into the kitchen and set about making coffee, blessing JJ's aunt for showing him where the coffee and filters were last night. Dee watched him work with a curious look on his face and JJ just huddled in his chair, staring at the tabletop. Drake couldn't help the black scowl that crept over his face at the sight of JJ looking so pathetic and beaten. He poured three cups of scalding hot coffee and wished that he could pour it in Dee's lap instead. Dee had been his friend for a long time, but at the moment, his feelings were anything but friend-like toward the dark-haired detective. Drake knew he should be embarrassed by the anger he was displaying toward his friend, but couldn't find it in himself to care. God, if he so much as made JJ sniffle, he was going to take a few strips out of Dee's hide.

Dee sipped his coffee in silence for a moment and glanced up. "Good coffee. Thanks."

Drake grunted a noncommittal reply and JJ raised his head. His cheeks were still colorless and the hands around his coffee mug trembled ever so slightly, but his voice was clear as he asked, "How's Ryo?"

Dee grimaced. "Getting there. He was still asleep when Bikky and I went there first thing, but they woke him up for tests. I left Bikky there and came to see how you were doing. He'll call me when they get done with the tests."

"Oh…" Drake expected JJ to brighten at the thought that Dee actually cared enough to come check on him, but oddly enough, his normally hyper partner just drooped even more.

Dee glanced at Drake, taking in his stony scowl and looked back at JJ's slumped figure. "JJ, can I talk to you for a minute without the watchdog?"

JJ looked up and blinked slowly. "Uhh-"

Drake set his coffee cup down with a thump, ignoring the way coffee sloshed onto JJ's kitchen table. "If you have anything to say you can say it in front of me, Dee. Otherwise, get lost." Ignoring Dee's raised eyebrow, he rose and got JJ's medications from the bag on the counter. He was filling a glass with water from the refrigerator when Dee finally spoke.

"Geez, could you give it a rest with the jealous boyfriend routine for a minute?"

The glass slipped out of Drake's fingers and shattered on the tile as he turned to glare at his friend in shocked disbelief. "What the _hell_…?"

JJ looked up, his face a mix of emotions that Drake was too upset to try and figure out. Dee, on the other hand, merely smirked and rested his chin on his hand. "Oh, don't even try to deny it. You've been acting the jealous bitch ever since I got he-"

That was as far as he got before Drake's fist connected with his jaw. Dee went down hard but came up again, spitting mad. "What the fuck was that for, you bastard?" He roared, ignoring the trickle of blood leaking from his split lip.

JJ lurched to his feet. "Drake-sempai!"

Drake had dropped into a fighter's stance, ready for Dee to come at him. Dee stared at him for a long moment and then started to laugh. "Hell, I deserved that one, didn't I?"

Drake warily uncoiled, eyeing Dee like he still might attack. "Y-yeah, you did."

Dee wiped the blood from his chin with a grimace, righted his overturned chair and sank back down into it. "And you still have a left on you that Muhammad Ali would envy. Damn, that hurt!"

JJ looked like he was torn between wanting to confront Drake and comfort Dee or curse at Dee and calm Drake. Finally, the picture of confused exasperation, he did neither and sank back into his chair, head lowered.

Only to bolt back to his feet a second later. "Drake-sempai, your feet!"

Drake glanced down at his bare feet, only then registering that he had sliced his left foot to ribbons on the broken glass. "Ow, shit!"

Dee, the only one wearing shoes in the room, came to Drake's aid, sliding a chair under him so he could sit and fetching the broom and dustpan from the corner. JJ hurried to the bathroom and fetched his first aid kit. As Dee swept up the rest of the broken glass, he cast a sidelong glance at JJ as the slender man knelt to pull bits of glass out of his partner's foot. So, that was the way of it then…

Dee disposed of the glass and watched the two men with something bordering on amusement. Drake was trying to reassure JJ that he was fine and that JJ needed to sit back down and take his medicine while JJ insisted that Drake wasn't fine and that he didn't need to sit down. Dee grinned again, even though it made his split lip sting and his entire jaw ache. If only those two had any idea of just how much they looked like a couple. Far be it from him to enlighten them, though. He rubbed his jaw ruefully. He didn't think he could take another punch.

It looked like JJ was finally getting over him. As for Drake…? Dee shrugged mentally. As far as he knew, Drake was straight, but he could be wrong. God knows, Drake's track record in the dating department wasn't exactly flawless. He had no luck hanging onto a girlfriend for more than a few months at best. Well, it wasn't like it was any of his business, but he had no desire to see either of his friends get hurt. He'd have to keep a careful eye on this to see how things played out.

When JJ had finished picking glass from Drake's lacerated foot and had wrapped it in gauze, Dee jerked his head toward the living room. "JJ, I still need to talk to you for a minute."

JJ hesitated, torn. Drake scowled fiercely at Dee until the dark-haired man dropped him a wink that made his cheeks turn red. "C'mon, JJ."

Glancing hesitantly back at Drake, JJ rose to his feet and followed Dee into the living room.

Dee turned and pushed JJ down on the couch. "Drake was right, though. You really need to sit down."

JJ looked up at him warily, appearing for all the world like he thought he was going to be yelled at again. His good shoulder was hunched up as if to ward off a blow and his silver-toned hair flopped into his eyes.

Dee dropped down to sit cross-legged on the floor. That put JJ's head higher than his and some of the tension eased from his posture as JJ unconsciously responded to that. "Look, JJ, I'm sorry."

JJ shook his head. "You were way out of line, but Drake really shouldn't have punched you."

"Not for that, idiot." Dee scowled but quickly modulated it into a grimace when he saw JJ's almost imperceptible flinch. "I'm sorry I've been an ass to you sometimes. Okay," he corrected himself. "A lot of times."

"Dee-sempai?"

"Look, you know I don't love you, right? That I love Ryo?"

Pain flashed across JJ's mobile face but he nodded. "I know. I've known that for a while now, but it's just hard. I've loved you for so long." Tears welled in JJ's eyes, but he bit his lip and held them back with an impressive show of will.

Dee sighed. "Look, I'm sorry that things turned out the way they did. But even if I had never met Ryo…"

A small, tremulous smile curved up the corners of JJ's mouth, an expression that held more sadness than humor. "-You still wouldn't ever have loved me, right?" As Dee's nod, JJ sighed. "I knew that, really, but I just couldn't make myself give up hope. I loved you from the moment I met you."

Dee sighed. "What can I say?"

JJ forced another smile, this one somehow managing to be more pathetic than the last. "You don't have to say anything. It's not your fault that I'm an idiot who fell head over heels for someone who couldn't care one way or the other about me."

Dee scowled at him. "Now stop that! I never said that. You could be a good friend if you would just quit glomping me every chance you get. Look, I know you're a good detective and pretty damned smart, so just quit acting like a kid, tackling me around blind corners and in stairways, and we'll get along just fine. You know it pisses off Ryo too, right?"

Something that might have been a real smile tugged at the corner of JJ's mouth. "I know. That's part of why I kept doing it. His expression is priceless."

That made Dee chuckle. True, Ryo couldn't hide his feelings when he saw JJ pounce on Dee. To someone like JJ, that jealous expression had to be worth a lot. "Just don't do it anymore, okay?"

"Okay." JJ hesitated and met Dee's eyes, his expression pathetic and full of longing. "Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"It's only one little thing. It's not much, I promise. I'll be good and won't glomp you ever again…" JJ's voice quivered on the razor's edge of breaking, but never quite managed.

"What?"

"D-Dee-sempai, can I have a hug? Just one real hug, please?" Tears welled in blue eyes as JJ begged earnestly. "I-I won't do anything else-I just want a hug-I'll be good-"

"C'mere, you." Dee sighed and pulled the slighter man against him. JJ quivered like a drawn bowstring an first, but slowly relaxed into Dee's embrace, his hands tentatively creeping up to wrap snugly around Dee's waist.

Neither of them had heard Drake's cell phone ring, but they turned with a start as he snapped it closed, standing in the kitchen doorway. His poker face, the one he used on suspects at work slid neatly into place over an expression that was so full of mixed anger, confusion and hurt that it was downright frightening. "Ted just called." His voice was flat and unemotional; as coldly clinical as the look in his gray eyes was not. "They've got a lead on the guy who shot Ryo."

Dee straightened up, all his attention now focused on Drake.

"About twenty minutes ago--several of the serial numbers from the cash he stole showed up on a bank scan." Drake continued tonelessly. "The match came in via Murray's Pub."

Dee brightened. "Really?"

Everyone in the Criminal Investigations unit knew Murray's Pub. It had been used as a money-laundering scheme before, and they had been lucky enough to slip some agents in. Now, it was crewed almost entirely by cops and trusted agents, in the hopes of a truly major bust coming down the pipe. They had kept their predations on the small fry who came through very subtle and quiet, so no one knew Murray's was now a trap waiting to happen.

"Did they get a shot of him, Drake-sempai?" JJ asked.

In addition to being crewed by cops, Murray's was wired to the gills with every bit of surveillance equipment the Precinct could beg, steal, borrow, or buy. You couldn't take a piss in there without electronic eyes on your every move.

"Yep." Drake nodded and now his expression was predatory and entirely too feral. "And the best part is, he's still flirting with one of the waitresses. We're moving men in to take him down as soon as he's clear of the neighborhood. I'm on my way over now."

"Not without me." Dee said with a grin that was even more bloodthirsty than Drake's.

"_You _are going back to the hospital to be with Ryo, whether you _like it_ or not." Drake growled. Dee was taken aback by the anger in his tone. "The chief wasn't fucking kidding about locking your ass up if you stepped _one inch_ outside the lines on this case." He transferred his scowl to JJ. "_You_ are taking your meds and going with him to the hospital. Ted says the chief wants both of you _'overly-emotional schoolboys'_ out of harm's way, and I am not taking the heat for it this time, so you two better damned well do what you're told this time!"

Drake favored both of them with a final scowl before snatching up his keys and stalking out the door, limping only slightly as he shoved his bandaged foot into his shoes on the way out.

Dee stared after him, a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "_Huh._ Wonder what's got his panties in a twist?"

JJ stared at him in confusion. Dee chuckled and turned the smaller man back toward the kitchen. "C'mon. Maybe we'd better do as we're told."

"Dee-sempai?"


	14. Chapter 13: High Speed

Chapter Thirteen-High Speed

_A/N-To everyone who reads this, thank you. Just seeing all the visits this story has received is an ego-boost. Thank you. Thank you to eveyone who reviewed and added this to their story alerts...So I'm emotional today...Blame it on the fact that Kita and I are moving and I haven't gotten much sleep... or accomplished. //sighs//  
_

_And yes, we know Dee was a bastard last chapter. He was supposed to be. He got better, didn't he? And it gave Drake the opportunity to sock him one…_

_While we usually try to space out the chapters-Drake&JJ/Dee/Drake&JJ/Dee/ etc.-We decided that this one was better left to Drake. He'll be seeing most of the action for the present, so we're going to stick with him for the moment!_

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Drake was seething as he drove. And the hell of it was, he knew it was his own fault. He _knew_ he shouldn't have been watching them from the kitchen door, but he couldn't have stopped himself, even if he tried. They had kept their voices low, so he couldn't make out what they were saying, especially when Ted called, but he had most definitely seen Dee draw JJ into an embrace. 

Damn Dee anyway! Wouldn't he realize that things like that just fed the fire? If he was being really nice to JJ like that, JJ would never get over him! Drake slammed a fist into the steering wheel with a string of muttered curses.

The stab of pain as the skin over his knuckles split shocked him back to his senses. What the _fuck_ was wrong with him?! Dee was right. He was acting the jealous boyfriend bit to the hilt. JJ _was __**not**_his boyfriend!!

Absently, Drake sucked on his bleeding knuckles, still fuming. The salt taste of his own blood abruptly brought to mind JJ, sucking on his own burned fingers right before he burst into tears.

Drake winced away from that thought. _God, what was wrong with him these days?_

Needless to say, when he finally arrived at the corner where Ted waited for him in a patrol car, his mood had not improved by one little bit. Ted took one look at his pinched expression and shook his head. "You are strung way too tight, man. Y'know what you need-?"

Drake interrupted him with an evil glare. "If you're going to tell me I need to get laid _again_, stuff a sock in it!"

Ted merely shoved a hand through his red hair and blinked apathetically at him. Ironically, that only pissed Drake off all the more. "Sonuva-"

Ted was lucky that the barely closed scabs on Drake's fisted hand chose that moment to break open. The sting of torn flesh and trickle of bright crimson distracted him from the urge to smash his friend in the face. "Ouch! Shit…!"

"What did you do to your hand?" Ted asked curiously.

"Beat the crap out of a couple of inanimate objects-including Dee…" Drake scowled as he wiped blood from his knuckles. "And then there's this nosy-assed friend who doesn't know enough to shut his mouth…"

Ted raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay! But, seriously, when it's all over but the shouting, we should go knock a few back at Kellie's place. She'd be glad to see us."

Drake managed a real smile, his sour mood easing at the thought. "Yeah. That would be nice."

One of the favorite watering spots for the 27th was the 'Dis Patch Bar and Grill, (More affectionately known simply as Kellie's) a bar run by Kellie Lindskold, a tough-as-nails former dispatcher. She had a special fondness for the crew of her former workplace, and off-duty cops comprised a major part of her clientele. Drake adored her.

While she was nothing like his own long dead mother, she had been like a mother to him since he had first wandered into her domain as a wet-behind-the-ears rookie so new the shine hadn't even rubbed off. Kellie had taken to him at once and willing given the newbie cop advice garnered from years of police experience. And for some reason, talking to Kellie sounded like a really good idea right about now. He needed some serious advice. This whole thing with JJ was getting to him.

Drake was startled from thoughts of chatting with Kellie by the crackle of the radio. "All units in the vicinity of Murray's Pub, be advised the suspect is leaving the pub in a gray Honda Civic, tag Alpha-Charlie-4-7-7-Beta. Headed north on Miller."

"Oops, that's us." Ted said as he picked up the radio and gave the "Responding" answer back. "Get in."

Drake climbed into the patrol car as Ted started it and eased it a little further into the shadows cast by a dilapidated apartment building. They waited tensely as the Honda turned the corner and headed west.

"He's not going to give us a reason." Ted scowled at the car as it sedately made another turn, keeping well within the speed limit.

Drake scowled at the car as they followed at a discreet distance. "C'mon, you ass. One excuse."

Ted spotted it before he did, as the car ahead slowed to a stop at a light. One of the brake lights flickered and blinked, barely managing to stay lit. A loose wire, no doubt, but enough cause for a routine traffic stop. Drake called it in as Ted flashed the lights. Ted's grin was full of enjoyment as the driver looked nervously over his shoulder. "C'mon, baby, run for me."

The driver decided to oblige. With a roar of acceleration, the tiny Honda peeled away from them. Ted's grin widened as he hit the siren and sped in pursuit of the car. Drake yelped and clutched for the door handle as Ted cornered abruptly. Cursing under his breath as his sliced foot banged into the underside of the dash, Drake managed to grab the radio. He called the pursuit in-between hanging on for dear life and bouts of cursing Ted and the suspect both six ways from Sunday. "Dammit, Ted, this is why I fucking _hate_ high-speed chases!"

Ted grinned ferally at him. "Gotta love the rush, man!"

Drake cursed him again and then simply held on as the little Honda led them a merry chase through the streets. "He's making for the freeway."

"Yeah!" If anything, Ted's smile grew wider.

"No!" Drake threw Ted a furious scowl. "Dumbass! If this gets onto the freeway and the evening news, we'll lose Murray's Pub. They'll connect this with him and say bye-bye to one of our best sting operations."

"Damn." Ted's face fell, but he reached for the radio and asked for a blockade at the on-ramp nearest them. "Take all the fun out of it, why don't you?" He grumped unhappily as he increased his speed a little.

"I knew there was something wrong with you when you told me high-speed pursuits were fun."

Ted flashed him another grin. "I love the adrenaline high!"

A brief flash of brake lights was all the warning they got as the Civic made a suicidal turn into an oncoming lane of traffic. Ted cursed and yanked the wheel around. Drake clung to the door. "He must've seen the blockade!"

"Tell me something I don't know!" Ted wrestled the patrol car back under control by sheer force of will and turned to follow the suspect, cursing loudly. Thankfully the traffic was light and before long, the idiot had gotten back into the correct lane. Sweating and swearing, Ted followed him. "He's not gonna stop for shit until he runs out of gas!" He observed. "You're partners with a sniper. Did enough of him rub off on you that you think you could hit one of his tires? We're going to have to do something drastic before he drags this into the downtown area?"

Drake flinched at the mention of JJ, but resolutely reached for his sidearm. "I can try."

"There is no try! Do or do not!"

"Shut the hell up!" Drake rolled down his window and leaned out precariously. "You are not Yoda and the Force is not with me!" He strove to steady his gun-hand as Ted made another turn after the fleeing Honda, muttering under his breath all the while. "Fucking Star Wars fanboy! This is not the damned Death star and I am not Luke frigging Skywalker!"

"Just shut up and take the damned shot!" Ted bit out. "Were going to be hitting a lot of traffic real soon and I do not want him to get away!"

"Or me to miss my shot and hit an innocent bystander." Drake growled back, concentrating hard on the tires of the small car in front of them. He wished he had thought to scrub the sweat out of his eyes, but there was no more time. Already, the flow of traffic around them had increased and there were dozens of pedestrians that could get in the way of a badly aimed shot. With a silent prayer to anyone or anything that might be listening, he squeezed off a shot. The welcome sound of rubber shredding and metal scraping pavement was his reward.

"Got you, bastard!" Ted crowed triumphantly as the car slewed in a desperate bid to regain control. Horns honked all around them as other drivers tried desperately to avoid the skidding car. With a sound like a gunshot, the other rear tire gave way and the Civic spun around completely before plowing tail-first into an (thankfully unused) ATM. Ted skidded to a halt and they both piled out of the car to confront the groaning suspect. Blinking blood out of his eyes, the man raised his hands in surrender.

The interrogation room was silent except for the harsh rasp of the suspect's (One Theodore Wilkes-Rodriguez; age twenty-two) breaths. He was having trouble breathing through the nose that had been broken in the crash. Somehow, Drake couldn't find it in himself to feel much sympathy for him. Chances were this punk was the reason Ryo was lying in a hospital bed with a hole in his lung. Drake grinned wolfishly at Wilkes-Rodriguez, unseen by the battered man on the other side of the glass.

Forensics had gone through the car and had retrieved several small caliber sidearms, about two pounds of cocaine, and about ten grand in cash. The guns were being tested for a match with the bullet that the doctors had pulled out of Ryo's lung. Drake couldn't wait for the results. As it was, they had enough to put him away for several years, but not enough to charge him with attempted murder.

Drake turned as Ted came up behind him with a file folder in his hands. "Got this from the computer when we ran his prints. He has a rap sheet half a mile long. All petty stuff though. Small time breaking and entering, vandalism, and public nuisance, mostly. Think the bank robbery was his attempt to make it into the big time?"

"Don't know. Don't care either. But if he is the bastard who shot Ryo, I'm going to enjoy putting him away for a long, long time." Drake scowled as he took the file and glanced over it. "Stupid shit. I really, really hope he is the one who pulled the trigger. This has been nothing but hell since then."

Ted shot him a curious glance. "Hell?"

Drake sighed and stared hard at one page for a over a minute, before realizing that he had yet to actually process a single word printed on the page. "It's nothing, Ted. Just…" He heaved another sigh. "Never mind. I've just got a lot on my mind. Forget it."

Ted shrugged carelessly. "Whatever you say, man."

"We gonna pull the usual shtick on this shmuck?"

Ted grinned. He loved playing up to his role in their routine. "Absolutely. I can't wait to see him sweat!"

Drake snapped the file closed and shared a grin that was only mildly malicious with his friend. "Let's get this over with."

They exited the observation room and Drake unlocked the door of the interrogation room beside it. Wilkes-Rodriguez looked up as they entered, beads of sweat gleaming on his bandaged forehead and upper lip.

Ted gave Drake a surreptitious grin as he turned to close the door. If he was already sweating this early in the game, it would be a piece of cake to pry details out of him. Drake and Ted had played the good cop/bad cop routine many times before and always to good effect and fell smoothly into character. They worked better than most partners on this little scam, often prying confessions out where others had no luck. Ted's red hair and volatile nature paired well with Drake's more laid-back attitude and easy-going demeanor.

"Hello, Mr. Wilkes-Rodriguez." Drake offered with a steady smile as he seated himself across the table from the man. Ted remained standing, prowling restlessly around the perimeter of the small room. The suspect's eyes flicked nervously back and forth between Drake and Ted. Drake hid a grin. It was always a good start when he was so clearly unnerved so early in the process.

Drake kept his voice low and soothing. "My name is Detective Parker and that's Detective Spencer over there. Would you like to tell us why you ran from what was a routine traffic stop?"

Wilkes-Rodriguez paled. "I-uh-I've been in trouble with the law. I was driving my brother's car, man, and I know he's into some shit that could get my parole revoked. I saw the lights and I-I just panicked."

Ted growled and whirled to slam both palms down on the tabletop. Even Drake, who had been expecting something like that, flinched. The effect on Wilkes-Rodriguez was far more pronounced. He jumped so high that he nearly knocked his chair over. "_Cut the crap_, dumbass! Some of that money we pulled out of the car was from a bank heist a couple of days ago. A _cop _got shot. Were you the one holding the smoking gun, Teddy-boy?"

Wilkes-Rodriguez went white as a sheet. "S-s-shit, man," he stammered. "I swear to god, I had no idea! Manny, he just lends me his car, tells me to go down to the pub and give some money to Keith. Says he bet on the wrong pony and had to pay up. I don't know nothing about a bank robbery! Did Manny kill a cop? Oh, holy mother in heaven, did my brother kill a cop? No way! No frigging way!"

Drake cast a sidelong glance at Ted as the young man continued to babble on the razor's edge of hysterics. His unfeigned terror was proof enough that he wasn't involved directly with Ryo's shooting. But he could still be counted as an accomplice.

Drake glanced down at the file he had opened on the table. "Says here, the car's registered to one Manuel Rodriguez. That your brother?"

Gulping, Wilkes-Rodriguez nodded hard. "My half-brother, man. Dad married my mom when I was just a kid. He used to take me out with him as a lookout when he and his buddies did shit."

Ted scowled down at the sweating, shaking youth, a sneer in his voice. "Oh, so you were playing lookout when your brother tried to off a cop? You know that make you an accessory to attempted murder, right?" Ted leaned down to scowl into Wilkes-Rodriguez's face. "Are you an accessory, Teddy-boy?"

The kid flinched back. "_No_! No, I swear I didn't know nothing, man! I just did what he told me and ran the cash down to the bar. I don't get to drive his car very often so I was happy to do it. I didn't know nothing about no bank robbery or a cop getting shot, I _swear!_"

_A/N Getting closer to the end here, folks! Hope you like how things are going so far. Reviews welcome. _


	15. Chapter 14: No Respect

Chapter Fourteen-No Respect

_A/N: (Sorry for the over long delay on this chapter. Kita and I were moving. Things did** not** go as planned. We're both seriously sleep deprived. Anyway, thanks go to Jay, Psychodahlia and Lami for the reviews. Glad you liked the "Star Wars moment" there. Hope you like this chapter too... Oh, and there's a bit of Ryo and Dee fluff in here. Enjoy!)_

_//Pokes FinniganToldMeTo with a stick// Hey! You dead? (Akita, behave yourself!)_

_(Thanks all and please remember to feed the review monster... you know who she is...)  
_

_Yay! **REVIEWS!** (Shut up, Akita!) eep!_

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Ryo woke slowly at the sound of voices around him. He remembered being woken up for tests, Bikky waving at him tiredly from the chair beside his bed as the orderlies wheeled him out. When the doctors were finally through with their gauntlet of medical tests and questions, he had been taken to his own room and put back in bed. He must have fallen back to sleep, while holding Bikky's warm hand for reassurance.

"Keep your voice down, Dee-sempai, or you'll wake him."

Ryo immediately recognized the soft tones of that voice, though he had never heard it sounding so weary and pain-filled.

"Shut up, JJ!"

Ryo dragged himself closer to consciousness at the welcome sound of his lover's voice. Dee sounded irritated, but not in the usual way at JJ.

"No. I'm not going to shut up." There was something steely in JJ's voice, a flash of anger that broke through the weariness momentarily. "Ryo-sempai needs rest and you need to stop shouting like a madman."

"Shit, JJ, you're not still pissed about that, are you? It's over. Besides, Drake paid me back for that. My jaw still fucking hurts." Ryo heard the rasp of Dee's hand on his stubbled jaw.

"So he decked you? Man, I wish I had been there to see that!" There was unholy glee in Bikky's smug voice.

"Yeah, yeah, you wish, brat. So he punched me."

JJ's voice held something Ryo had never heard from him before. "Because you were an asshole of the first order. You're lucky he didn't do worse than that."

Dee laughed harshly. "What? Drake wouldn't do anything!"

"Only because it was Drake-sempai. Anyone else would have ripped you to pieces for the insult to their masculinity. Drake is straight, remember?" There was barely-hidden pain in JJ's words. "You were a bastard, Dee."

"I was just telling the-hey, what the hell? What happened to Dee-sempai?" There was honest confusion in Dee's voice.

JJ's tone went cold. "You don't deserve it. That's a term of respect, and right now, I don't think anyone here respects you. With the possible exception of Ryo-sempai, but that's only because he doesn't know what a jerk you were." There was the scrape of chair legs across the tile. "I'm going down to the cafeteria to get some coffee. Bikky, do you want something?"

"Hold up, I'll come with you." A moment later, he heard the door close and Dee's soft but enthusiastic cursing. Ryo managed to drag his eyes open. Dee was glaring at the closed door, swearing under his breath.

"Wh-" It came out more of a sigh and Ryo winced at the searing pain it sent through his chest. Dee whirled at the sound and caught up Ryo's hand.

"Ryo! Sorry, did we wake you?"

Ryo shook his head. "W-what did you do now?" The words were just barely above a whisper, but Dee heard them clearly nonetheless.

Scowling, he waved a hand in the air. "Nothing. I just gave Drake a hard time. JJ's really pissy about it though."

Ryo gave him the look. As always, it worked like a charm. Dee flushed and looked away. It had taken Ryo years to manage, but it was worth it at moments like this. "I went over to talk to JJ. I talked to Mother the other night and she was right." Dee confessed quietly. "I never actually talked to JJ about you and I. I just yelled at him or worse, brushed him off. So I went to his place to apologize and talk. Drake was there. I was surprised, honestly. He said he was babysitting JJ while he was hopped up on pain meds, and he was already pretty pissy at me himself if his expression was anything to go by."

Ryo twined his fingers tighter in his lover's, wordlessly encouraging him to go on.

Dee glanced down and a loving smile softened his expression. "Anyways, Drake was hovering like an old maiden aunt, or maybe more like a jealous lover. I admit, I was tired of being glared at, so I was a little bit of an ass. I asked JJ if we could talk without the watchdog."

"And…?" Ryo wheezed.

"Baby, don't speak. You know you're not supposed to." Dee leaned down and brushed his lips across Ryo's forehead, heart contracting at the pain his lover was in. "If you promise to stay quiet, I'll tell you the rest."

Ryo nodded. Dee sighed and went on. "Drake got pissy and said if I had anything to say, I could say it in front of him. I was being a dick and I told him to drop the jealous boyfriend act. I also kinda called him-" Dee's voice dropped into an embarrassed grumble. "-A jealous little bitch."

"Dee-!" The surprised exclamation sent a bolt of pain through him, but Ryo couldn't stop himself. The spasm of coughing that followed was punishment enough. It wrenched him and Dee cradled him frantically until it eased. Ryo rested against his chest, panting, each desperate breath a stab in his wounded lung.

"God, Ryo, don't do that! I promise, I'll tell you all, just don't say anything, okay, baby? Just rest. Please, baby?" Ryo could feel the frantic hammering of Dee's heart throbbing against his cheek and slowly nodded. Dee held him close and even in as much pain as he was, Ryo relished the feeling of being cradled in his lover's embrace. It was scary how much he loved the brash, loud-mouthed man holding him.

When Dee's heartbeat had calmed and the stabbing agony in his own chest had eased, Dee sighed and spoke again. "I know I was kinda being an asshole, but Drake was pissing me off. I've been on edge since… well, you know." Ryo nodded against his chest. "He paid me back for that comment. He's still got one hell of a left hook!"

Ryo glanced up, knowing amusement and reproach were both shining in his eyes. Dee met his gaze and sighed. "I know, I know! I deserved that! You don't have to tell me that."

Ryo cupped the bruised side of Dee's jaw and drew him down for the briefest of kisses, a butterfly-light brush of lips. Dee smiled down at him, love bright in his green eyes. Ryo moved his lips silently, mouthing the words. "I still love you, you big dope."

Dee chuckled and gently held his lover against his chest. Ryo pushed back after a moment, eaten alive with the desire to talk, but knowing the pain that would await him if he tried. He looked up into Dee's gaze again, clearly mouthing the words, "Pen and paper."

Dee looked confused for a minute and then reluctantly disentangled himself from Ryo to fetch his notepad and pen from the pocket of his jacket. "Here. What's eating you?"

Ryo took the pad as Dee slipped onto the bed, leaning against the raised back. He pulled Ryo against his chest, cradling him again. Ryo smiled and went willingly. He wrote neatly for a few seconds and held the pad up so Dee could see it.

Dee read the words aloud. " 'Did you ever think you might be hitting a little too close to home?' " He blinked down at his lover. "Say what? Where did you get that idea?"

Ryo glared at him before scribbling a response. 'Don't lie to me! You can't tell me you haven't noticed too!' He thumped the pen on the paper to emphasize his point.

Dee, thinking of what he noticed in JJ's kitchen, winced, knowing he couldn't lie to his lover. "Maybe. I know Drake's really conflicted. Maybe he's realizing that what he feels for JJ isn't just what one feels for a friend and partner. As for JJ-that's hard to say, love. It's clear that he cares for Drake, but I honestly don't know. Besides, Drake's only ever dated women."

Ryo cast him a withering glance before writing a reply. 'Same goes for me, before I met you.'

Dee had to concede that he was right. Ryo had never thought he could be attracted to another man before he had met Dee. "You have a point. Drake's certainly not homophobic, not being friends with me and working with JJ. Maybe he can change his views."

Ryo nodded. 'I think he can. From what I've seen, he's good for JJ. Maybe they can be good for each other. God knows, JJ already runs to him every time you hurt him.'

Dee winced, but Ryo's hand tipped his chin up. There was a mix of exasperation and amusement in those nearly black eyes and Dee tried a smile. "Okay. I know I'm an ass."

Ryo nodded. 'You don't see me denying it, do you?' He wrote.

"Well, thanks. Good to know I can count on you."

Bikky watched JJ from the corner of his eye as the silver-haired detective sipped coffee, staring absently into the black depths of his cup. "You okay?"

JJ glanced up and managed a half-smile. "I'll live."

"What's up with you and Dee, anyway? I've never known you to be so angry with him." He held up his hands with a disarming grin. "Not that that's a bad thing, mind you, but I'm just more used to you brushing off his rejections and glomping him anyway."

JJ's smile this time was sad. "Maybe it was time for me to grow up and realize that he was never mine." He looked down at his hands and wished for the first time that he had a bad habit like Drake's incessant smoking. At least a cigarette would give him something to do with his hands.

He glanced up at the teenager watching him from across the table. "And I wasn't mad for my sake. Dee knew he was being a dick. He's just pissed cause Drake decked him."

Bikky chuckled. "I'd still have paid money to see that."

JJ managed a chuckle that didn't sound too forced. "It was worth seeing, believe me."

They sat there for another few moments, the silence stretching to the point of uncomfortable. JJ had never been so grateful for the chirp of his cell phone. Nodding at Bikky, he hurried outside and answered. "Adams."

"The punk we collared wasn't the one who shot Ryo." Drake explained in a hurried tone, the rapid sound of his footsteps indicating he was headed somewhere in a rush. "He did finger his brother as the one, though. Seems his brother's been into knocking over banks lately. The DA pushed through a warrant for us. Ted and I are headed to the address his kid brother gave us. With luck, we'll have this asshole safely behind bars before tonight's over."

JJ brightened, relief filling him. "That's great news, Drake-sempai. Wish I could be with you when you collar this guy! You wouldn't feel like stopping at the hospital and picking me up, would you?" JJ injected all the woeful pleading he could into his voice.

Drake's sigh was full of exasperation. "Give it up, partner. You're on the wounded list. As in, off duty."

"But, Drakey-sempai…?"

Drake snorted laughter and JJ heard a car door close. "You keep calling me that, and you're not ever going to win. My sister's the only one who calls me 'Drakey,' and that's cause she knows how much I hate it." JJ heard the car start and Drake shouting to Ted. "Hurry your ass up, Ted! Places to go, dumbshits to arrest!"

JJ heard a car door slam and Ted grumbling. "Ink's not even dry on the warrant and you're still rushing me!"

Drake chuckled. "I don't want him to get a clue that we got his little brother. They're keeping Theo from his phone call so he doesn't spill the beans. With any luck we can have this prick in custody before he knows what hit him."

JJ felt his heart squeeze in his chest. If it really was the guy who shot Ryo, chances were he was armed and dangerous, and JJ wasn't there to watch Drake's back. Sure, Ted was, but it still wasn't the same. Since they had been partnered up, JJ had always been there to keep an eye on Drake. It made him nervous not to be able to be there. "Drake-sempai?"

"Yeah?"

JJ tried to hide the worry in his voice, but couldn't tell how well he succeeded. "You and Ted-sempai be careful, okay? Please."


	16. Chapter 15: Hell Bent

Chapter Fifteen-Hell Bent

_See Chapter one for full disclaimers-all of which still apply._

_A/N What's to say? Things are coming to a head. Wow! So many reviews. So glad you guys like this. Thanks go to NamarieGreenleaf, Jay, Cheshirejin, Lami, Psychodahlia, Chibigirlflower, Wen and TVjunkie006 for the reviews. We can't say anything but thank you, and that hardly seems adequate to convey our gratitude. People like you are the reason we keep writing._

_//Pokes FinniganToldMeTo with a sharp stick.// (Subu-chan, I think this one is dead!) **//Whap!!//** Kita, shut up!!! Behave yourself!_

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Drake pressed the end button with a vaguely unsatisfied feeling. _I know he's upset that he can't come along on this collar, but what was that? JJ's not usually so twitchy about arrests._

He caught Ted's odd look as he pulled out into the traffic. "What?"

Ted shook his head, but his expression remained unsettled. "Nothing, man. Just promise me we're going to go to Kellie's for that drink when this is all over."

Drake shot him a sideways glance. "Sure. What brought that on?"

Ted finger-combed his spiky red hair. "I was just thinking that we all need to unwind a little. Maybe a few beers, a game of pool, or something."

Drake shook his head. "Sounds good, but we need to concentrate on bagging our boy, Manny, first."

"Yeah, yeah. You're right." Ted slumped back in his seat and remained silent as Drake drove.

_First JJ and now Ted. What the hell's with everyone tonight?_ Drake sighed and concentrated on his driving, giving his poor abused brain a rest.

Ten minutes later, they were in a less than savory section of the city-not quite the ghetto, but not far from it. Both of them kept alert as they started passing buildings tagged with gang colors. Thankfully, there were no signs of impending trouble. Drake was relieved when they made it to a row of sagging apartment buildings, packed so closely together it looked like they were holding each other up. Ted also breathed a small sigh of relief. "Don't like this place. Reminds me of the first neighborhood I was assigned to patrol as a rookie. Wound up in the middle of an all-out turf war."

Drake nodded shortly as he scanned the worn and rusting numbers on the buildings. "Yeah, been there too. There!" He stabbed a finger at the dilapidated cement facade of a building. "That's our address."

Ted nodded shortly and picked up the radio, requesting that backup be on standby. It was a wise precaution. It was all too easy for things to go to hell in a handbasket. Hands on their weapons, Ted and Drake emerged from the car. Up fourteen flights of grimy metal stairs, they stood in front of fourteen-eighty-three. Ted took one side of the door as Drake put himself on the other and knocked. They both tensed at the sound of a baby's wail from inside. "_Que_?" A young woman with a weary face cracked the door as far as the security chain would allow. She cradled the crying infant in her arms as she stared out at them with eyes that went wide in instant recognition, even before Ted reached for his badge.

Drake grabbed Ted's arm as he saw the sudden flash of terror flash over the woman's face. With a glance back over her shoulder, she pressed a finger to her lips. "_Hola,_ Ricky." She spoke a quick stream of Spanish in which Drake caught just enough that to understand she was asking if "Ricky's" mother needed help again. Her eyes warned them to remain quiet as she spoke over her shoulder in rapid-fire Spanish. Again Drake's limited Spanish allowed him to understand enough to know that she was telling someone that she was going to help "Ricky's" mother and that she would be back soon. They heard a dismissive grunt from inside over the blare of a football game. She unlocked the chain and opened the door just enough to slip out.

Closing the door tightly behind her, she waved them to follow her, all the while chattering softly to "Ricky" and cooing to the settling baby. She led them back down the hall to the landing, safely out of earshot of the apartment. "_Gracias_, officers." She said quietly, warily keeping one eye on the door of the apartment she had just emerged from. Her voice was pleasant and lightly accented. "You come for Manuel, _no_? What did he do now?"

Ted glanced back the way they had come and kept his voice low as he responded. "Manuel Rodriguez is wanted for questioning in the shooting of a police officer and in connection to a string of bank robberies."

Her rich brown eyes were weary. "Somehow, I thought as much. Manny does many things that are illegal, _senors_. He comes home the other night smelling of burnt things, and the next day, I hear of an explosion and the shooting of a police officer. He is not worried, but I know he is-what is the word-overconfident." There was something in her voice that spoke of more than that; of the foolhardy pride of someone who thought they could not be caught. "He thinks I do not know of all the bad things he had done. But I know. I could not leave him, not yet. I had to protect Theo and little Nita." She brushed a finger over the baby's cheek. "Tell me, is Theo safe?"

Drake sighed. "He's in lock-up down at the station. For the moment, he's only an unwitting accomplice-after the fact-but still an accomplice. He has a record, but it's all petty stuff. Now we've got him on evading and reckless endangerment, as well. But he did point us to Manny."

"_Si."_ She sighed. "I understand. I have done my best to keep him safe and out of trouble. Perhaps some time in jail will scare him straight, _no?_ He is still young. There is still time to make sure he does not turn out like his brother."

There was such genuine concern in her caring eyes; Drake found himself offering her a little nugget of hope. "If we talk to the DA, and prove that Theo willingly gave us Manny, we might be able to get him a reduced sentence."

She offered him a weary but grateful smile. "_Gracias. _That would be very nice of you."

Ted grunted, glancing back at the door. "Is he armed in there? Any other exits?"

Drake nodded, adding, "Do you have somewhere safe to go?"

"Manny is always armed." She told them frankly. "He has a Beretta always with him and a smaller gun in an ankle holster. There is a shotgun under the couch and many places he has ammunition hidden. I am only grateful that Nita is not crawling yet."

Drake winced at the thought of the baby getting into a stash of ammo.

She cocked her head to the side. "There is a fire escape in the bedroom, but the window has been painted shut so many times, I do not think you can get to it without breaking the glass. As for me, I think I will take refuge with the real Ricky and his mother downstairs." This time her grin was real and far less weary. "_Senora_ Cruz is crippled and she needs much help with the laundry and shopping. I help her so much, Manny, he does not think twice when I go."

Drake smiled, approving of the way this little slip of a girl had done her level best to keep others safe in an untenable situation. "Clever lady."

"I am Rosa, _senor_." She held out a single key on a pink keychain that read, 'Cancel my subscription, cause I don't need your issues.' "Here. This might let you surprise him. He will not think so much of my returning so soon until it is too late." Her smile this time was self-depreciating. "He does not think much of me at all."

Ted snorted. "Then he's not very smart, is he?"

Her smile made all the others she had given them pale in comparison, and Ted and Drake both blushed. She leaned forward and gave both of them an impish kiss on the cheek before pelting lightly down the stairs. Ted looked after her in awe. "Man, that guy is an idiot for not seeing what's right in front of him."

Drake nodded in complete agreement. Then he shook himself and glanced over at Ted. "How do you want to play this?"

Ted growled low under his breath as he dragged his attention back to the work at hand. "Carefully. I don't want to end up perforated."

The memory of Ryo lying pale and still in a hospital bed was foremost in both their minds. Drake snorted to chase away the lingering fear. "As least Dee's not here. That idiot would go in, guns blazing."

Ted chuckled with an uncomfortable shrug. "Ah, well, you know he's bound to go crazy when something happens to someone he cares about. And, y'know, with it being Ryo…"

"Yeah." Drake shrugged the memory away and reached for his two-way. "If we're going in there, I want backup on the way before we even open the door."

"I'm not arguing, buddy." Ted pulled his gun and checked the clip as Drake called for backup to be ready.

It was right about then that thing went to hell. A teenage bolted past them without a second look and pounded on the door of apartment fourteen-eighty-three. "Manny! Manny! It's Carlos! Let me in!" He continued shouting to be let in the door in a mix of English and Spanish.

Ted cursed softly. "I know that little sneak! He hangs around the newsstand across from the station. He must know we have Theo!"

"Hell!" Drake pulled his gun and they both dashed to the door just as it opened beneath the teen's pounding fist.

"_**Freeze!"**_ Ted shouted. _"Nobody move!"_

Manny Rodriguez loomed in the door, five-foot-nine of bad attitude and beer breath. He had a Beretta in his hand. "You _little __**shit-fuck!**_ You let the cops follow you here?!" Without another word, he shot the stunned Carlos twice, once in the face and once in the chest.

"Drop the gun!" Drake roared, ducking, as the teenager collapsed in a bloody, twitching heap. Ted dove aside as the response to the demand was another shot and a stream of particularly vituperative Spanish. "Rodriguez, drop the damned gun!"

Manny's grin was more than half-insane as he turned and bolted back into the apartment, not even bothering to slam the door behind him. Ted eased to the door, jerking back as a wildly-aimed shot ricocheted off the doorframe. Drake reached the teenager sprawled in the hall and pressed his fingers to the bloodied skin of his throat, already knowing it was far too late for him. "Dead."

Ted eased an eye against the gap where the door met the frame. "No movement." He reported.

Drake heaved himself back to his feet. "Lets get this prick."

The sound of shattering glass drew their attention back to the apartment. "Shit! He's going for the fire escape!"

Favoring speed over caution, they worked their way to the bedroom. A shot shattered the drywall by Ted's head and he yelped, firing blindly back. Drake couldn't believe his ears as a pained roar followed by the clatter of a gun falling to the floor came from the bedroom. He dared to risk a look around the doorframe. Rodriguez was panting harshly as he squeezed his bulk through the shattered window. He clutched his right shoulder as blood stained his gray t-shirt a dark crimson.

"Freeze!"

He bared his teeth in a bloody grin as he managed to drag himself through the tiny window, oblivious to the remains of the glass slicing through his nut-brown skin. He cursed them in a mixture of Spanish and English as he kicked aside the lamp he must have used to shatter the glass. Drake saw it happen. The cord of the lamp caught Rodriguez's ankle and he staggered backward, reeling into the rusted railing. The metal groaned and gave way.

For the first time, there was fear in the big man's eyes as he teetered wildly over the fourteen-story drop. He went over, bloody hands clawing frantically for purchase on the remainder of the railing. His left hand, covered in gore, slipped, but his right hand snagged the edge of the fire escape.

Drake squeezed through the window, ignoring the way the shards of glass sliced his jacket and the flesh beneath. Ted was right behind him as Drake grabbed for Rodriguez's bloody wrist, struggling to hold the brawny man up. "Shit! Hold on!"

Rodriguez looked up into his eyes for a long moment. Then a feral look flashed across his face and his gory left hand shot up to close on Drake's collar. He gave Drake a fey grin and deliberately let go of the railing…

Cue Dramatic music-

To Be Continued…

_//Blinks mournfully// (That was evil, Subu-chan!)_


	17. Chapter 16: Left Hanging

Chapter Sixteen- Left Hanging

_A/N-a little glompage here and two men kissing-so fair warning. Anyone who's offended by this-what the heck are you still doing here? You should have tuned out at least three chapters ago! Glad you're enjoying this. Thanks to TVjunkie006, Psychodahlia, Chibigirlflower and FinniganToldMeTo for the reviews. (YAY...//Glomps Finnigan// You're alive!!!!!) Dammit, Kita, stop scaring the reviewers! Spaz... //sighs// _

_Special thanks go to Wen. It was great to meet you in person! Hope you continue to enjoy! (//cries// Not fair, Subu... I wanted to meet Wen toooooooooooooooo... //sniffle//)_

* * *

"Drake!" 

"Hey, nice collar, Drake!" Marty slapped him on the shoulder hard enough to stagger him and grinned, teeth startlingly white against his dark skin.

"Thanks, man." Drake turned and grinned back, lightheaded and flushed with the feeling of a job well done. "It was scarier than shit for a minute there, but we pulled it off!"

"I'm sure, Detective Parker. Well done. You will have the appropriate paperwork filled out and on my desk by morning, yes?" Berkley Rose nodded at him from the doorway of his office. "Remember that you do have work still to do before you can celebrate, Drake."

For some reason, that jovial tone sent a shiver of unease up Drake's spine, but he dismissed it as a self-guided glomping missile launched itself down the hallway to twine slender arms around his neck. "Drake-sempai! Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

Unable to pry JJ's grasping arms from his throat, Drake sighed and let JJ cling to him like a strange sort of necklace. "I'm fine, JJ. Ease up on the choke-hold, though, or I won't be."

JJ continued to babble, much to the barely-concealed amusement of the others gathered around them in the hallway. "When Ted-sempai said that Rodriguez nearly pulled you off the ledge, I nearly had a heart attack!"

JJ's arms twined tighter around Drake's throat and he paused for just an instant, thinking that there was something off about his partner's embrace. "It-it wasn't a ledge, JJ- it was a fire escape…" Drake couldn't breathe as JJ clung tighter. What the…? His head was spinning. "JJ…?"

JJ smiled at him and Drake's chest grew tighter. He'd seen that seductive look before, usually directed at Dee. He'd never been subjected to the full force of it before now. He was gasping like a fish when JJ's mouth descended on his, meltingly hot and tasting of the sea and some indefinable sweetness. Drake could only stand there in stunned disbelief as JJ expertly plundered his parted lips. He knew he should breathe, but the feel of JJ pressed against him had arrested his ability to even blink.

"Drake…?" JJ pulled back and smiled sweetly at him.

"Drake?"

"_Drake?"_

"_**Drake?! **__ Damn you, don't you let go, you __**bastard!"**_

Ted's strained face loomed above him, eyes wild and terrified under that shock of red hair. It seemed redder than it should be and Drake realized he was seeing Ted through a haze of scarlet. That didn't seem right until his sluggish brain made the connection. Blood. His chest hurt and he still couldn't catch his breath or he would have told Ted give him something to wipe the blood from his eyes.

Something clicked and he came fully awake in spite of that lack of air. He was dangling from a broken fire escape, fourteen stories above the street. Ted had braced both feet against the structure of the fire escape and clung to his wrist with a grip so tight it was painful, his lean face lined with the terrible strain of keeping not one-but two men from falling to their deaths.

Because Rodriguez hadn't relinquished his death-grip on Drake's collar. It was his weight that was choking Drake as he dangled from Ted's punishing hold. Realizing this, Drake started to struggle in earnest. He clawed at his collar, desperate for enough air to ease the pain in his chest. A button popped and for a bare instant, he was able to suck in a lungful of air before the constriction tightened again as Rodriguez slipped further down.

It scared Drake to realize that Rodriguez still wore the feral grin that he had worn as he latched onto Drake's collar. His eyes weren't sane anymore.

Drake kicked weakly at him and strained to reach the ledge. Ted, realizing he wasn't stunned any longer, held tighter and shouted encouragement at him. "That's it! Hang on, Drake! Just hang on!"

Drake felt his fingers brush cold metal and latched on, rusty steel cutting into his skin. Ted leaned backward, throwing more of his strength against Drake and Rodriguez's combined weight. Drake struggled for a better grip, his feet sawing wildly at the air as he tried to reach for the level below him.

Ted grunted and Drake yelped as his sweat-slicked hands slipped in their death-grip on his wrist. Ted dug in so hard his nails broke the skin. "You are not gonna fucking fall on me, you _asshole, you hear me?_! You hang the hell on! You goddamned idiot, don't let go!"

Drake couldn't get enough air in to reply to the frantic mix of insults and pleas. He could feel his strength fading fast and his arms quivered with the strain. Rodriguez's dead weight was pulling him down inexorably. Even Ted's locked fingers could only hold him so long. Proof of that was in the tiny trails of blood where Ted's nails sliced through his skin as Drake slid further down. Drake could feel his skin tearing and knew it was only a matter of time before the blood made it impossible for Ted to maintain his death-grip.

As the fog of asphyxiation closed in, Drake knew he was dying. Ted knew it too. Drake could see it in his friend's terrified eyes even as Ted exhorted him to hang on. His chest hurt from the lack of air and he couldn't think clearly anymore. He wished he could breathe at least enough to tell Ted to stop screaming at him. It was making his head hurt too.

For some reason that struck him as incredibly funny and he tried to laugh around the choking weight constricting his throat. The effort made him swing back and forth and Ted's frantic grip slipped again.

"_**DRAKE!"**_ Ted's voice was an anguished scream as Drake's hand slipped through his fingers. Drake jerked as the full weight tore his fingers free from their tenuous grip on the rusting metal. He felt a moment's relief as the constriction on his throat eased and he could only think that maybe JJ had been right to be nervous.

And then he was falling…

* * *

_(Oooh, another cliffhanger! You are so mean, Subu-chan!)  
_


	18. Chapter 17: Broken

Chapter Seventeen-Broken

_A/N- Heh. That was kind of evil, wasn't it? Another cliffhanger and the shortest chapter this side of the prologue too. Sorry bout that, folks. Promise things are going to come together soon. _

_FinniganToldMeTo: --Heh-- Sorry, no dying on our watch. Glad you're still around to leave reviews. (Yay! Finnigan is alive. Those cliffies make good wake up calls, dontcha think? --giggles--)  
Jay: What can we say? Drake had to fall...  
TVjunkie006: Here's your update... ( --Blinks-- Drake... what about Drake? I know nothing, your honor!) That's the gods-honest truth, Kita. You do know nothing. **(HEY!)**  
Chibiflowergirl: --hides from the insane reviewer-- Uhm, sorry the last chapter was too evil for you. --ducks thrown objects--  
Wen: I meant every word of it... It's a wonder to actually meet reviewers face to face. I was giddy enough to be mistaken for Kita for the rest of the night. You weren't the only one in a daze. Glad to know you're enjoying the story. --hugs you-- I'll dedicate this chapter to you!  
Pyschodahlia: Yeah, that was rather mean, wasn't it? C'mon, did you really think Ted wouldn't try to save his friend?  
_

* * *

JJ had had enough of watching Dee and Ryo make eyes at each other nearly an hour ago. Had he ever been that sickening? With a rueful chuckle, he had to admit he'd probably been worse. Bikky was apparently of the same opinion, because he was making retching noises every time Dee whispered something utterly sappy to Ryo. JJ had to fight the urge to join him. It would have made the heavy feeling in his heart easier to bear. 

Admitting that Dee was never his had not eased the ache in his chest every time he saw them together. He knew it would take him a while not to want to cringe whenever he heard Dee raise his voice. Just as it would take him a while to get over the gaping hole in his heart where his hope for Dee had once lived. But he was surprised to find the aching void didn't hurt as much as it had yesterday.

And he knew there was a reason for that, too. Someone who had never rejected him; someone who was always there to support him and make him smile even when his heart was breaking. It always came back to Drake, anymore. JJ sighed and glanced at the clock on the wall. Two hours and counting since Drake and Ted had gone to confront the man they believed had shot Ryo. JJ was about ready to climb the walls and not just because of the two turtledoves cooing at each other on the other side of the room. He'd been unaccountably anxious since this morning.

Bikky had resorted to throwing anything within reach at Dee when the cheery chirp of a cell phone made them all jump. JJ flinched as every set of eyes in the room focused on him as he scrambled to get the phone out of his jacket pocket with his good hand.

"A-Adams."

"Mr. Adams? This is Clarice Mitchells at Mercy General Hospital. Do you know someone named Drake Parker?"

JJ's heart dropped and he had to force his next words out around the sudden lump in his throat. "Yes. He's my partner."

"You're listed as his emergency contact. Detective Parker was brought in approximately fifteen minutes ago after sustaining injuries in a fall off of a fire escape."

"JJ? What is it?"

The cell phone slipped from JJ's numb fingers and he took off running as fast as his legs would carry him, deaf to Dee's indignant queries. His shoulder was throbbing by the time he made it to the elevator, but he ignored the pain as he punched the button for the elevator repeatedly, in the vain hope that would make it come faster.

He had nearly made up his mind to take the stairs when the elevator dinged.

JJ shoved inside as soon as the doors opened, ignoring the shocked look from the elderly lady in a wheelchair. He mashed the button for the first floor just as he heard Dee's voice and saw the dark-haired man come trotting around the corner. But JJ had no thoughts to spare on him as the doors slid closed. All that he could hear were the words "…Injuries in a fall off of a fire escape…" echoing over and over in his ears.

It seemed to take the elevator months to reach the first floor. Every stop along the way was a year he couldn't afford. When the car at last opened on the first floor, JJ all but vaulted the gurney that two orderlies had pushed in on the eighth floor. He was off at a dead run before they could do more than gasp indignantly.

He made it to the emergency room in under a minute, arriving panting and breathless at the desk where he had signed himself in less than three days ago.

"P-Parker…" He managed to gasp at the nurse, holding his now agonizingly throbbing shoulder. "Y-you have a Drake Parker here?"

The nurse (not the one who had checked him in before) looked at him over her glasses. "Are you family, sir?"

"He's my partner!" JJ exclaimed.

"O-oh." The nurse blushed and for the first time JJ was aware of how he must look, frantic and disheveled with his silvery hair wild from the dash down the hall. And then the partner comment, which he had made without thinking about how it might've sounded to her. Funny that it wasn't the way she was thinking, but JJ didn't care. If that would get him past her to see Drake, he'd let her believe that. _"Yes!"_

He was saved by Ted sticking his head out through the double doors. "JJ? I thought I heard your voice. How did you get here so fast? The nurse only just went to call you."

"Ted-sempai!" JJ launched himself at the redhead. "How is he? Is he all right? What happened? Please tell me he's okay?"

"Christ, JJ! Don't make such a scene! Get in here." Ted grabbed him with a bandaged hand and yanked him through the double doors.

"What happened?!" JJ grabbed Ted's arm.

"Shit, calm down, you spaz! The arrest went to hell. Rodriguez shot a snitch that came to warn him that we had his brother and started taking potshots at us. He tried to escape through a painted shut window onto the fire escape. He tripped and the railing gave way. Drake grabbed for him to keep him from falling, but the psycho grabbed hold of him and let go of the railing."

"_**What??!"**_ JJ's frantic shout made heads turn.

Ted grabbed his arm and hustled him into a nearby (and thankfully, unoccupied) restroom. "Calm the fuck _down!"_ He hissed. "I caught Drake, but Rodriguez wasn't letting go."

Ted was _stalling_ him! JJ pulled free of Ted's grasp and fled the restroom, desperate to see Drake. No! What if something had happened to him and JJ never had the chance to tell him…

"JJ!" Ted caught up to him. "Slow the hell down!"

"Where is he?" He turned on Ted with a mix of fury and terror that made the other man take a step back. "Where _is _he?"

Ted's eyes darted toward a curtained-off room and that was enough. JJ ducked under his outstretched hand and made a beeline for the door.

Ted caught him by the shoulders and shook him. "JJ…JJ-calm down, dammit! JJ, he's all right! More than half-strangled, but he'll live, okay?"

JJ struggled free of Ted's bandaged hands until he could see past him through the small gap in the curtains.

Drake was sitting up in a chair as a doctor put the last couple of stitches in a huge gash on his forehead. He had one hell of a shiner, his left eye swollen nearly shut and a riot of black and purple. There was a thick band of the same colors around his throat. He was shirtless and had a line of discolored and raw flesh across his lean abdomen that was gently being swabbed clean by a nurse.

JJ felt the breath go out of him, his heart settling back into place in his chest. Drake was okay. He would live!

This time he let Ted pull him away from the door, but Ted still hadn't noticed his new complacency. "Dammit, JJ, would you quit acting like it's Dee who's in there! You need to calm the fuck down!" Right about then, Ted realized he wasn't fighting anymore and let go. "Christ." He sighed.

JJ stood frozen, stunned by what Ted had just said. _"…acting like it's Dee…"_ Had he really? When had Drake become just that important in his mind that he outranked Dee? And he did, JJ realized with a sudden surge of mingled dismay and elation. Somewhere in the tangled-up mess of JJ's emotions, Drake had eased into places in his heart that had only ever been touched by Dee. Awed by that realization, JJ missed more than half of what Ted had said to him.

"I'm sorry, what was that, Ted-sempai?"

Ted sighed and shoved his hair back with a wince, quickly pulling his hand away. "I said that Drake has never been so lucky in his life. When he fell, he hit the level of the fire escape just below us and managed to hang on. I don't know how he did it. Rodriguez wasn't so lucky. Drake's shirt tore and Rodriguez went with it. Forensics is scraping him up from the alley now."

Ted blinked ruefully at his bandaged hands. "I managed to slice my hands up pretty good getting to Drake before he passed out and joined Rodriguez in becoming pavement pizza. I pulled him to safety just as backup arrived. Better late than never."

Right about then, Dee arrived, and Ted had to start his explanation over again. By the time he finished, the doctor had emerged from the room. As one, they rounded on him to find out the full extent of their friend's injuries.

"Detective Parker was very lucky today, gentlemen. Aside from the nasty concussion, he's going to be living with a very, very sore throat for the next few days. Frankly, I'm surprised that between the blow to his head and the oxygen deprivation, he managed to hang on as long as he did. He's going to be hurting for a while, because he managed to crack two ribs when he hit the railing, but again, he was incredibly lucky. He had to have hit with enough force to have shattered those ribs and driven the fragments into his vitals, but somehow, he managed to avoid that. We'll keep him overnight for observation, but it doesn't appear that there's any internal injury."

All his breath escaped and JJ, not caring who saw him, sank down to sit on the floor, so relieved he couldn't even speak.

He sat there numbly as Dee thanked the doctor and then hauled JJ back to his feet. "You ran all the way down here and you're not even going to go say hello?"

JJ looked up at Dee through tear-filled eyes. "I thought he was dying. I thought Ted was just stalling me and that Drake was dying!"

Dee sighed and ruffled his hair like Drake often did. JJ quivered. "You heard the doctor. He's gonna be all right. C'mon. Let's go see him."

At the door to the room, Dee suddenly shoved a surprised JJ forward. His hand on Ted's arm stopped the redhead at the door. Ted looked back at him in surprise. Dee nodded after JJ. "Let's you and me give him a few minutes to reassure himself that Drake isn't dead. Want a cup of coffee?"

Ted looked skeptically back at the room but allowed himself to be led away.

_A/N- not a cliffhanger, though it is intended to leave you wondering. Plan on two more chapters and remember this takes place in the canon just before "Like, Like, Love." Next chapter will be up soon. The next question is, do you want us to do a sequel? We can, but if you don't want us to… (NO! Say it isn't sooo, Subu-chan!!) Calm down, dearest. If they love us, they will come. (And review? --Sniffles-- Waah! I think I need a hug!!)_


	19. Chapter 18: In Too Deep

Chapter Eighteen-In Too Deep

_A/N-First off, some **major **apologies are in order. It was never intended to leave all of you hanging this long, but life and other things got in the way for both of us. First major hurdle was my poor beast of a computer getting a fatal virus and dying. And I do mean DEAD. As in 'no intelligent life, captain.' As circumstances stand, I am reduced to borrowing Kita's little laptop (Provided by work, and not for anything but work... so shhhhhhh-K.) or stolen time on the Library computer. I've changed jobs, been injured, and in general had a truly rotten few months. (And the less said about my life, the better. I mean it, really **don't ask!**)_

_ Okay, so here's the next chapter. No major warnings here except for a bit of bad language and the appearance of yet another character who __**does **__**not**__** belong to us!!**__ Let's go over the disclaimer thing again, folks. All characters from Fake are the exclusive property (that means belongs to-K.) of Sanami Matoh-sama! Akita and I are only borrowing them and generally annoying the hell out of them._

_Thanks for all the kind and urhm…enthusiastic reviews. We hope you continue to enjoy. (That means more review, yes, please.) Shut. Up. Kita. (eep)_

* * *

JJ staggered into the green-tiled examination room, momentarily off-balance from the force of Dee's shove. _Dee…?_

Drake looked up as he came in, a welcoming smile lighting his face in spite of the nurse wrapping his abdomen. "JJ…" His voice was a ravaged croak and JJ flinched from the raw sound of it.

"Shh." The nurse looked up to caution gently. Drake grimaced down at her. "You should know better than to try and talk right now, Mr. Parker. The doctor told you to take it easy on your throat."

Drake grinned at her sheepishly. The expression, even marred by a black eye, was enough to make JJ's heart melt. Drake could look so adorably boyish with an embarrassed expression like that. _Oh, yeah,_ JJ thought ruefully. There was no longer any doubt. _I'm in it deep. _

And the hell of it was, he didn't mind. So Dee was off-limits now that he'd made it clear that he and Ryo were an official couple. JJ could live with that. It might hurt like a sonofabitch, but he accepted it. Maybe that could make up for ill-wishing Ryo on occasion. He hoped so.

Drake looked up and smiled at him with a pained shrug, earning a brief reprimand from the nurse as she finished with his bandages. JJ had to physically restrain himself from glomping Drake in sheer joy that he was still alive. He didn't want to scare him off. Maybe Drake wasn't gay or even bi, but he was still one of the best things in JJ's life, and JJ didn't want to lose that. Maybe he had a chance here that he'd never gotten with Dee. Even if Drake would never return the emotion, JJ dared to hope that they would remain partners and friends.

Maybe because he was too forward, JJ had never had many real male friends. Somehow, sex always got in the way. But Drake was different. He had never rejected JJ out of hand, even when the younger man had been at his most spastic or screamingly gay, chasing Dee down the halls of the precinct.

JJ realized he'd been staring at Drake, caught up in his thoughts when Drake tentatively extended a hand towards him. JJ forced himself to take a step forward and clasp Drake's hand in honest relief, keeping his other emotions firmly walled away. Was it just his imagination or had there been a flash of disappointment in those gray eyes? A slow curl of pleasure started in his belly and he kept himself from smiling only with a major exercise of willpower. Well, maybe there was hope too.

But he wouldn't push it. Not yet. Not until he was certain.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Drake-sempai. I was worried about you."

* * *

_Later that evening…_

Drake had been checked in and oddly enough, in a vacant room just across the hall from Ryo. Dee and Ted came to check on him as soon as he was settled in, reassuring themselves that he was fine. JJ hadn't left his side once during the whole evening, and he thought Drake seemed oddly reassured by his presence.

Ignoring doctor's orders (as usual), the first thing he did was apologize to Dee as soon as the brunette walked into his room.

"Sorry, man." He rasped over JJ's attempt to shush him. "I couldn't get him for you and Ryo. There was no justice in it…"

He broke off as JJ clapped an imperious hand over his mouth. "The doctor told you to stay quiet, remember?" Drake scowled at him, but there was a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

Dee chuckled and sat on the side of the bed. "Maybe not in this world, but there is in the next. Sure, I'm pissed that I didn't get to send him there myself, but there's zip for you to apologize for, Drake. You did everything you could. Hell, you even tried to save his ass! Me, I would've watched him fall."

Drake and Ted both chuckled. Ted glanced at Dee slyly. "Yeah, well, we all know you'd be a murderer if you weren't a cop. Right, Drake?"

Drake nodded, laughing weakly though an aching throat.

Dee shrugged. "It's not that I don't regret that he's not behind bars, being turned into another inmate's little bitch, but I know he's receiving punishment for what he did. It's funny, but that's enough to satisfy me." As he spoke, he unconsciously fingered the tiny cross that hung from a slender silver chain around his throat.

Drake, one of Dee's oldest friends in the department, nodded in complete understanding. He knew, that due to Mother Maria Lane, Dee's faith was absolute and unshakable. Now, Drake was no atheist, but he had trouble believing in things he couldn't see or experience for himself. He considered himself a realist. Most cops were after a while. You tended not to have a lot of faith in anything but yourself after so much of seeing the dark side of humanity.

Well, that and maybe your partner. Drake stole a glance at JJ. He had absolute trust in JJ to watch his back, but recent events were throwing his perception of his partner all out of whack. JJ had been stuck to his side like glue all evening, but there had been something odd in his unusually quiet smiles and bouts of non-stop chatter. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something was definitely amiss.

And there was still so much left unsaid in all that endless chatter. Drake wasn't sure he wanted to face what was unspoken. Dee and Ted's words, the feel of a sobbing JJ in his arms and the small but definitely real doubt sowed by all those things were punching holes in his worldview that he didn't want to look at too closely.

Ignoring JJ's glare, he grated a question at Dee. "How's Ryo?"

Dee's face broke out in a smile. "Better. It's still hard on him to breathe too deep, and like you," He directed a mock glare at Drake. "He's not supposed to talk, but he's getting better. It'll be a while before he's back on duty."

"Wonderful. Two detectives out and she…" Chief Warren Smith grumbled unexpectedly from the doorway, cocking a thumb back over his shoulder. "Drops a major serial killer case in our laps."

Amid variations of 'Aw, Chief,' Dee groaned loudly as he caught sight of the energetic figure clad in four shades of eye-searing blue that stood behind the stocky form of the chief. "Not you again, Sea Hag."

Diana Spacey leaned around Chief smith to offer him a roguish grin. "You're slacking, Laytner. That's the same nickname you used last time. Nothing new came to mind?"

Dee scowled but shrugged carelessly. "Hey, I stick with what works."

Diana's grin grew and she swooped in to plant a smacking kiss on Dee's cheek. "Ooh, nice comeback! I see Ryo's rubbing off on you."

"Get away from me!"

Still grinning like a Cheshire cat, Diana plopped herself down in Dee's lap and looked sympathetically at Drake. "Ooh, you got pretty roughed up too, didn't you, Parker? Berkeley told me what happened to Ryo, but left out the fact that you look like you went five rounds with a pissed off elephant!"

Ted chuckled. "Actually, it was a busted fire escape and a perp who bungee-jumped without a cord."

"Ted-sempai, you left out that it was the guy who shot Ryo-sempai." JJ added.

Diana's smile turned vindictive. "Good. I hope he bounced when he hit the pavement."

Drake shook his head, but Ted turned slightly green. "He did. And it wasn't pretty."

"I say again, good." Diana said with deadly seriousness as she studied her nails, shimmering with blue-green paint and filed to lethal-looking sharpness. "Otherwise, I would have had to get my hands dirty. Nobody hurts my friends and gets away with it."

Then her grin returned. "Glad it didn't come to that. It takes forever to get blood out of a manicure like this."

Drake breathed a small sigh of relief. Diana Spacey was scary on an epic level when she wanted to be. There was no doubt in his mind that she would have done exactly what she threatened if Rodriguez weren't already beyond the reach of the living.

"But, anyway," She continued with blithe cheerfulness. "I have a case that just dumped itself square into your laps, so I need the able-bodies to come with me. Spencer, you ring your partner and tell him to meet us, lessee, in the conference room at the station. This is a joint effort between the Investigations Department and Homicide, so they'll be joining us there. We'll be working in two man teams, so Laytner, Adams, looks like you're stuck with each other until your respective partners are out of here."

Drake roused. "Wait a minute!" He rasped harshly. "JJ's on the injured list too! You can't send him out with Dee!"

"Yes, but he's not confined to a hospital bed, now is he, Detective Parker? So he's on a paperwork sentence, then? Fine, there's plenty of paperwork to be done."

JJ gently laid a hand on his shoulder. "I don't mind, Drake-sempai. I've been bored and getting back to work will help."

Drake wanted to protest, but the only one he could think of, he didn't dare actually give voice to. If he said, 'I don't want you working with Dee,' he would instantly be branded the jealous lover again.

JJ caught the hidden flash of jealous anger in Drake's gray eyes and his heart swelled.

Unable to resist, he leaned down and put his lips next to Drake's ear. "Don't worry, Drake-sempai, you're still the only partner for me." Then he winked lewdly and pulled off a supremely effeminate posture.

Drake turned bright red as everyone in the room burst into gales of laughter.

* * *

_A/N- Only a little left to go, folks. Do you want us to post the sequel? (Sequel! Sequel! Sequel! Sequel! /bounces on the couch, giggling manically/ Sequel! Sequel!** Sequel!**) /sighs/ Akita!! Do I have to bring out Prince Valium __**again**__??_


	20. Chapter 19: Misunderstanding

Chapter Nineteen-Misunderstanding

_A/N-What do you know... an update and only a week or so after the first! Hopefully, I shall soon be in the land of the computer-enabled again soon. (What she means, is she's got a friend who's willing to sell her his old laptop for cheap.) Tell the world, why don't you, Akita? (Sorries) No, you're not, but we'll pretend. I'm suffering severe withdrawal for not being able to post as often as I like. My LJ account is suffering badly too. Anyway, Disclaimers still apply and neither Kita nor I have any claim on the characters, save for Kellie. You want to borrow her, you're more than welcome to, but please note me, or give credit where credit is due. Thanks to jarm, chibigirlflower and jay for sticking around to see the new chapter. (YAY! /glomps reviewers/ You like us, you really do!!) Enough, Kita.  
_

_Well, here's the next to last chapter. Hope you all like it. We'll post the epilogue in a couple of days, barring hell or high water. Thanks, thanks and more thanks to those of you who have read and/or reviewed or favorited this story. Sorry for the wait. (Don't kill us, please.) There is another author's note at the end of this chapter, so stick around.  
_

* * *

To say Drake was in a foul mood would be like saying a downpour was only mildly wet. He was pissed. And the target of his anger sat the length of a desk away, typing with one-handed proficiency that Drake had never mastered and blithely munching on a jelly doughnut. JJ's silvery hair flopped into his eyes in a way Drake normally found endearing, but right now was just annoying the hell out of him.

His deprived stomach chose that moment to add its own growl of displeasure to Drake's grumbles. His poor throat still wasn't up to much beyond soups and Jell-O and that wasn't enough to satisfy the aching hollow in his gut. Drake was sure he'd lost at least five pounds in the three days since he'd been released from the hospital. He took another long drag from his cigarette, glowering and earning an annoyed look from JJ. "Drake-sempai, you know you aren't supposed to smoke until your throat and ribs are healed. Doctor's orders."

_Fuck!_ Those were JJ's new favorite words and damned if he didn't use them once a day at least. _"Doctor's orders"_ this and _"Doctor's orders"_ that! Drake's annoyance intensified and he rose from his desk with a snarl. "Need air." He grated shortly at JJ; even those two words making his aching throat hurt that much more. He fled to the roof, grabbing a cup of lukewarm coffee along the way. Heavily dosed with cream and sugar, it soothed the burn in his throat and eased the ache in his belly a little.

He was still panting and out of breath by the time he made it to his sanctuary. His ribs ached fiercely and for a long moment he just huddled there, panting for breath with his arms curled protectively around his aching ribs. Ironically, the pain just pissed him off more. It was a long moment before he could uncoil enough to lean on the balustrade and try to catch his breath.

Drake wasn't sure just why he was pissed with JJ, to put it bluntly. On the surface, not much had changed and it still seemed like thing were normal, but there was this nagging feeling that JJ was deliberately trying to piss him off. Sure, it was Chief Smith's idea to pair JJ with Dee, but did JJ have to enjoy it so damned much?

Sure, he wasn't hurling himself at Dee and pouncing on him from around blind corners, but on more than one occasion, Drake had heard them laughing and talking, only to drop into silence the moment he entered the room. If he were more paranoid, he'd think they were plotting something.

Thankfully, Dee spent what time he wasn't on duty at the hospital with Ryo. Then and only then, did things seem normal in his own little corner of the world. Well, maybe not so normal, but safe and oddly soothing. JJ was determined to make Drake follow doctor's orders and Drake was just as determined that JJ not do anything to hurt his still painful shoulder. If that made for some awkward moments, it was still safe in a way that made Drake as uncomfortable as not.

He and JJ had been back together since he had gotten out of the hospital, so why did things still seem strained between them? Drake didn't want to admit to some of the things he had found himself thinking lately and so buried them deep in his psyche. But…

With a growl, he shook himself out of his thoughts, lighting yet another cancer stick. He didn't need this shit. He should be basking in having the asshole that shot Ryo off the street (more specifically, in the morgue) or concentrating on the paperwork for the new case Diana Spacey had brought them. His life was fucked up enough already.

The nicotine wasn't helping. Snarling and unable to vent his anger with a nice curse, he stubbed the cigarette out and stalked back downstairs. The few uniforms he ran into on the way took one look at his thunderous expression and the ring of black and purple around his throat and stayed well out of his way. That was a damn shame because right now, he would have welcomed an excuse to go off.

He stalked back into his shared office, a little surprised and more than a little put out to find that it was empty. Where the hell had JJ gotten to?

He turned as he heard the unmistakable sound of JJ's voice, speaking in a lowered tone, but decidedly excited sounding. He knew the voice that answered back. Dee!

"…are you really sure, Dee-sempai?" JJ's voice came from the closed door leading to Dee's office.

"Would I lie to you?" Dee snickered softly and his voice dropped below Drake's range of hearing. Drake eased closer to the door to Dee and Ryo's office until he could hear clearly again. "…got it bad."

JJ's voice was breathy. "Wish I could believe that…"

There was more than a hint of smirk in Dee's tone. "Trust me."

JJ laughed, a light, high sound. "You know I do."

"Then trust me on this. I know." Dee's low growl carried a tone of certainty.

Drake caught himself against the wall, something in his chest contracting with a painful squeeze. He heard, but he didn't want to believe it. He'd thought Ryo had settled Dee down, but from the sounds of it, Dee was still playing games. And JJ had fallen right back into the trap. Damn him. Damn them both!

Pushing himself away from the wall, Drake stalked downstairs, movements stiffer than even busted ribs could account for. He found Ted, who had just gotten off shift, flirting with Janet at the desk. "Ted," He gritted, ignoring the pain in his throat and another hurt that he really, _really _didn't want to think about. "You still up for that drink at Kellie's?"

Ted glanced up, surprised. He didn't like the look in Drake's cloudy gray eyes anymore than he liked the raw sound of Drake's voice. "Um, sure… but aren't you supposed to be on duty, doing paperwork for the serial killer case?"

Drake snorted a harsh laugh, ignoring how it made his ribs ache and throat burn. "Still walking wounded. Who's gonna give a shit if I take off a couple of hours early?"

"What about J--?" Ted cut himself off mid-word at the flash of something he thought it best not to name that flared in Drake's stormy eyes. "Uh, sure. Let me grab my jacket." He bid a hurried farewell to Janet, who was looking after Drake in concern and snatched up his jacket. Glancing after Drake's retreating back, he looked back down at Janet. "Shit, babe, sorry. Do me a favor and let JJ know Drake took off early… but not why."

"Sure thing."

Cursing under his breath, Ted hurried after his friend.

* * *

_**A few minutes earlier…**_

Dee spotted JJ as the slight detective left the records room. "Hey, JJ, c'mere for a second."

He watched JJ flinch and wondered if JJ would ever lose that reaction. He was sorry he'd yelled at him. Hadn't he apologized already?

"What is it, Dee-sempai?"

Dee waved him into his and Ryo's office. "I wanted to ask you something."

"What?" JJ tilted his head to look up at him, looking rather like an inquisitive cat.

Dee glanced out into the hallway to assure himself that they were unobserved and closed the door before turning to JJ. "Let's get straight to the point." He said bluntly. "What's going on with you and Drake?"

JJ took a step back, panic suffusing his rather feminine features. "I-I… I don't know what you're talking about, Dee-sempai…"

"Let's not play games here." Dee said brusquely. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

JJ sighed and collapsed into a chair, rubbing his aching shoulder ruefully. If it hadn't been for that, he might not have come as far as he had, but it still hurt like hell. "God, you always pick the hard ones, don't you?"

Dee crossed his arms and propped one hip on the corner of his cluttered desk. "Yeah. So, answer me already."

"I don't know. I haven't the foggiest idea." JJ was blunt as Dee. "I think I could fall for him, Dee-sempai, and easily at that." He thought it best not to mention that he already had, and fallen hard. "But he's straight. He's my partner and my best friend. I don't want to lose that. If I come on to him, I could. I don't want that to happen."

Dee smirked. "I don't think it will. If you ask me, Drake's already questioning his own sexuality. Ryo's noticed too." Dee cocked a thumb toward JJ and Drake's office. "Now, don't get me wrong. At this point he's still confused and unsure, and if you start chasing him down the hall, screaming 'the love god' or something, he's gonna run like hell the other way, and you'll lose any chance you have with him." Dee noticed how JJ was leaning forward and hanging onto his every word. "But if you go slow and let him adjust, I think you've got a good chance with him. Y'know what they say-'friends make the best lovers.' And if you guys aren't friends, than what are you?"

Dee mentally noted that he owed his lover dinner when Ryo got out of the hospital. Ryo had been the one to notice all the nuances that Dee missed. He had been certain that JJ was head over heels for Drake, and seeing the look in JJ's bright blue eyes, Dee wasn't about to disagree.

"I want to think that." JJ's face was full of excitement.

Dee sighed. "Listen to me, willya? I'm not lying. If Ryo's even noticed it, you've got a better than even chance of making Drake fall for you."

"I don't know." JJ said pensively. "I mean, are you really sure, Dee-sempai?"

"Would I lie to you?" Dee snickered softly and leaned closer to the smaller man. "If you ask me Drake's got it bad."

JJ's voice was breathy and excited and his blue eyes sparkled with happiness. "Wish I could believe that…"

Dee smirked and leaned back. "Trust me." He said smugly.

JJ laughed, a light, high sound, made breathless by the exhilaration he was trying hard to conceal. "You know I do."

"Then trust me on this. I know." Dee growled, pleased with himself. Ryo had coached him through this last night, but he had pulled it off without his lovers prompting.

JJ looked up and nodded, smiling broadly.

* * *

_**Later, at Kellie's Bar… **__(a/n- in other words, the obligatory bar scene.-K.)_

Drake was on his third draft when Ted gave up on trying to cheer him and decided he would be better off playing pool with a couple of the other patrons. He figured he'd just hang around to haul Drake's drunk ass back home when he finally passed out. Kellie herself had had no better luck talking to him. Drake just grunted a noncommittal reply and tapped his glass to indicate he wanted another refill. Ted shrugged and concentrated on the stunning looker in the blue dress that was busting his balls (a little too literally) at pool. She'd beaten him four breaks out of five and looked to do it again.

She landed the six ball in the corner pocket and studied the table for a long moment, tipping back her bottle of Guinness for a swallow. "So what are you really doing here, Red? It's obvious your head's not in the game."

Ted sighed as she deftly sank the four. "I'm waiting to take my friend home when he's had enough. Don't ask me what the hell's wrong with him. His throat's hurt so he ain't got one helluva lot to say. And he's not gonna try."

She glanced over at the bar as she lined up for a shot. "The strong silent type, huh? He the blonde?"

"That's him." Ted groaned as she neatly managed to sink two balls at once.

She grinned at him. "He's not bad looking. Want me to give it a shot? I'll be gentle." She sank the eight ball and held out her hand. "You lose again, Red. Pay up."

Drake scowled at his beer. Damn JJ anyway. He was grown man, even if he did act like a kid half the damned time. It wasn't any of Drake's business if the fool was setting himself up for another broken heart. He didn't need Drake looking out for him. Drake figured JJ didn't want him looking out for him… except at work.

Drake threw back half of his beer with a stifled growl that made his throat hurt. He ignored the pain. Fine by him. He had better things to do than look after the little spaz.

"Buy you another, handsome?" Drake looked up into sultry chocolate-brown eyes in a lovely dark-skinned face. She leaned down, unconcerned by the cleavage her low-cut blue dress exposed, and offered him a dazzling smile.

Drake managed to smile back, his anger evaporating in the face of her interest. Course, the slight haze from all the beers didn't hurt a bit either. At least someone gave a damn.

"Yeah…yeah." He rasped. "That would be nice. I'm Drake."

* * *

_(Don't kill us... there is an epilogue and a second story, entitled "Loves Company" on the way. Fair warning, LC is NC-17 in parts, so under-aged participants need not apply. Any chapters with such content will be clearly labeled, so Please do not pretend you were not given fair warning... capish?)_

Subu-chan & Kita 4/21/2008


	21. Epilogue: Likely

Epilogue: Likely

_A/N-Still lacking in computer, but we're going to post this anyway. Thank insert deity(ies) of choice here for friends willing to let me onto their computer to post this. Kita and I will be posting both this epilogue and the first chapter of the sequel, "Loves Company," together, so you don't have to be cranky about the way this one ended. Again, this story was meant to show the slow evolution of JJ and Drake's relationship in canon and prior to the events of "Like, Like, Love." From here on out, it becomes a horse of a different color. (Horse? What horse? Where Horse? I like horses!) **Shut. UP.**  
_

_--sighs-- This is a little companion piece to 'Like, Like, Love,' as seen through JJ's eyes. We relied heavily on the translation of the story posted on Fakephoenix for the dialogue, even though we did take a tiny bit of artistic license. Hope you like it. Don't worry. We have more planned. (Yay! Sequels for everybody! --giggles and bounces--) --sighs wearily-- Please stay away from the keyboard when I'm __**trying to WRITE!**_

* * *

_**A few months later…**_

He was on the roof.

Again.

JJ sighed as he peered out the small window of the fire escape door to the roof. Amazing. The man had a positively morbid fascination with heights.

JJ slammed the door open. "Drake-sempai! I know you're out here!"

Drake was leaning on the roof barrier, staring off into the distance. He was dressed like he hadn't cared about his appearance, jacket thrown on over an unbuttoned shirt, and his recently cut hair rumpled and wind-blown. That could only mean one thing.

"Wallowing in your loneliness, I see. Did you get dumped again?" JJ wasn't pulling punches. He'd been furious at first when he'd found out _(Janet was incredibly susceptible to bribery in the form of chocolates)_ that Drake had gone to a bar and wound up going home with some bimbo he'd picked up there. But he'd gotten over it. He knew Drake and his absolutely shitty luck with the opposite sex.

Drake flinched. _Right on the mark_. JJ thought with no little satisfaction.

"Hey! Can't you show a guy a little sympathy?" Drake turned and scowled at him, muttering under his breath. JJ only caught a little of it, something about his casualness.

JJ shrugged. "Guess I'm just shocked it happened again…" He shook his head, pretending indifference. "Don't know why I'm surprised, though. This seems to happen quite frequently with you."

Drake flinched again and looked away, clearly unwilling to meet his eyes. "Cut me a break already!" His voice dropped to an embarrassed grumble. "'Sides, I don't get dumped _that_ often."

_This one had to have hurt worse than the last time,_ JJ thought to himself. Drake only got really defensive when he was hurting. JJ sighed and let go of the anger. It wasn't like he had any real right to get angry. At least, not yet.

"Gah! To hell with it all! Who needs women?!" Drake declared with a black scowl. "From this day forth I shall live for work!"

JJ fought back a smile and let a little of his own very real sorrow slide over his face. _So you don't need __**women,**__ eh, Drake-sempai?_ "It's alright. Not like I don't know how you feel anyway."

Drake mellowed a little. "In a sense, I suppose. But you still have your _Dee-sempai_ to chase after!"

JJ's chuckle was humorless, letting some of his very real heartache show through. Just not the heartache that Drake thought it was. "Mm, not exactly." He confessed. "It just hasn't been the same. Not since things changed between those two…"

"Those two…? Do you mean Dee and Ryo?" Drake looked baffled. "Am I missing something here?"

JJ moved to gaze over the barrier, letting a humorless smile twist his lips. "I guess it figures you wouldn't have caught on by now."

Drake reacted predictably enough with a growl. "What's with the insult-fest today?!" _Defensive much?_ Yeah, he was hurting too.

JJ knew the feeling. It was the same one congealing in his chest. The pain filled his voice as he responded. "It looks like…" He had to swallow before he could finish. "I've been rejected after all."

He could see the worry in Drake's handsome face out of the corner of his eye, but he refused to turn and look directly at him. But hope was rising fast in his chest.

Drake cleared his throat. "Um. Hey, don't worry too much about it. So it didn't work out…" It sounded like he was trying to convince himself too. "There are plenty of other fish in the sea, right?"

JJ shoved his fingers through his hair with a sigh. "I guess you're right, Sempai."

Drake waved his hand in the air, now obviously trying to cheer him. JJ suppressed a smile. Drake never could hold a grudge for long. He turned to look at Drake, keeping his own face expressionless. Drake spoke, his own voice just a shade too casual. "Of course I'm right. Believe me; been there, done that, got the damn t-shirt." His eyes darted away for just a moment, before focus on JJ's face, unusually solemn. "B-besides, you'll find the right person one of these days. Trust me."

Before he could think about what he was doing, or maybe talk himself out of it, JJ turned and caught the lapels of Drake's jacket, rising on his toes to press a firm kiss onto Drake's warm lips, trying hard not to think about just how good it felt_. Man, I've been celibate way too long._

Drake looked completely flummoxed and it was all JJ could do to keep from laughing at his absolutely floored expression. His heart felt lighter than it had for a long time. He plastered on his brightest grin, going into full 'JJ the goofball' mode. "Yep! You were right! Gotta find someone new and I trust you!"

His forced grin became wider at the stunned way Drake leaned against the concrete barrier, eyes wide and confused. Maybe he shouldn't have done that while Drake was suffering from a break-up, but he was just so much fun to torment. _And he was going to have fun_, JJ determined. _Oh, Drake would learn what he was in for,_ JJ thought with a smirk_, in the most pleasant ways his creative mind could contrive._

He turned so Drake wouldn't see the smug grin. "On that note, let's grab a bite. I know just the place." He continued chattering as he watched Drake try and figure out what had just happened to him. He knew better that to let him think too long about it. Drake had a way of over-analyzing everything if left to his own devices. And JJ wasn't about to let him_. _

_Not this time, Drake-sempai!_

"Well," JJ demanded. "Are you coming or not? I'm not going to wait all day, you know."

Drake shook himself free of the paralysis and numbly followed him, his expression bemused. _"What have I gotten myself into?" _ He muttered softly.

_Oh, yes._ JJ smiled inwardly. _This is going to be so much fun._

_**Mini epilogue…**_

_Even later, when they had become lovers, Drake would never tell JJ that the first kiss on the roof had reminded him of the oxygen-starved dream his mind had conjured up when he had been dangling fourteen stories above the pavement. The taste and melting heat of JJ's lips had been the same and Drake had been left just as breathless…_

* * *

_A/N-finished at last! So, what did you think? Was it worthy of your time? Worthy of a sequel or two? (Or three or four or five or six!! --giggles--) Thank you all for reading._


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